God, I Love Your Smile
by SEALteamsteve
Summary: Kono, Adam and Doris are in trouble in China - Can the guys get to them in time and how were they found?
1. Chapter 1

******** Here is Chapter One – it's a bit short but I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think ********

She walked towards him, "It's not forever"  
He replied, "Okay"  
She said softly "Okay"  
His voice cracked with emotion, "I'll take that as a promise"  
With tears welling in both their eyes she replied, "Promise" as they embraced.

They stood on the pier holding onto each other and as tears fell she added softly, "Thank You"  
He couldn't believe that she was leaving….not Kono. Chin had said to not try to stop her, and he wouldn't. She loved Adam, he'd known that for quite some time now although they had never really talked about it. As they stood with their cheeks touching she whispered into his ear, "Don't ever stop smiling Steve"

As they parted Steve said, "Be careful Kono, take care of yourself"  
"I'll be careful" Looking at Adam she added, "We'll take care of each other. I'll see you soon. I love you"  
He kissed her cheek, smiled and said "I love you too sweetheart"

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5 WEEKS LATER...

Steve was waiting for the bartender to return with the round of drinks he had ordered. His eyes were trained on the table where his team sat….or at least part of his team. He felt a pang of sadness as he looked at Danny and Chin chatting away. Danny was already quite tipsy and even more animated than usual. He really missed Kono. He had gotten a letter from his Mom two weeks ago letting him know where they had settled in China and that they were safe.

His mind drifted back to a similar outing at this club three years ago. The team had wrapped up a particularly tough case involving a missing child. Thank God they had found the little girl unharmed but for two days none of them had slept, working 'round the clock. He hadn't been surprised by Danny's intense reaction to the case, but Kono had been seriously affected as well. Seeing that they all needed to unwind, Steve had taken them all out for a nice quiet dinner and then they had come here for a nightcap. Chin and Danny had become engrossed in a debate over which food was better….Jersey Pizza vs. Hawaiian Sushi.

There had been a band playing that night and Steve had asked Kono to dance.  
As they held each other close Steve had asked, "Are you okay Kono?"  
Hesitating slightly she had responded, "I'll be fine Steve. I just can't believe how scared I was for that little girl"  
"I know. But we found her. She wasn't hurt and she's home and safe with her family tonight"  
"But things don't always turn out so well Steve"  
"No they don't"  
"I feel like I was a detriment to the team the last couple of days. How can you do this boss? You have such amazing control of your emotions. How can you stay focused all the time?"

"I have to stay in control Kono. If I don't, I'm no good to anybody. It's my job. It's my job to stay focused and to help keep you and the guys focused. You, all three of you, are the best at what you do. But each of us, including me, has weaknesses. We are all skilled as individuals but we are amazing together as a team. Don't ever feel bad or insignificant Kono, because without you we are not 5-0. For those times when cases are hard for you, lean on us….because we are there for you and there will be times when we will need to lean on you as well"

She had thanked him for his support and he had flashed her the infamous McGarrett smile that not only showed her he loved her and cared about her but also made her feel safe and secure.  
She had grinned and he asked, "Did I say something funny?"  
"No, no not at all…..never mind….."  
"Never mind? Come on, spill it"  
"It's your smile"  
"My smile? What's wrong with my smile?"  
"Absolutely nothing!" She chuckled nervously, "Now I don't want you to take this the wrong way boss….."  
Again, Steve smiled as he said "I won't, I promise"  
"You have the most beautiful smile. It warms hearts and it shows love, and it makes me feel safe and happy. Steve McGarrett…God I love your smile"

He was smiling at the memory as the bartender handed him the beers. As he made his way back to the table he hoped that Kono was feeling safe and happy tonight, but he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that something wasn't right…

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Two days later Steve was at his desk working on a report when the text came through.  
Opening the message from his Mother, a chill shot down his spine at the single word on the display, _"HELP"_  
He raced from his office finding Danny and Chin at the computer, "GUYS, we've got problems"  
He handed the phone to Danny as he grabbed Chin's forearm, "Kono's in trouble"

Danny asked, "Is this it? Is this all you got?"  
"Yes"  
"Did you try to respond?"  
"No….I don't think that's a good idea. Doris would have sent me more info if she could have done so safely"  
Chin said anxiously, "We don't even know where they are..."  
Steve responded, "I do"

Danny looked at him with a shocked expression on his face, "What? What about this being classified and all your bullshit about us not being safe if we knew where they were?"  
"What about it Danny? You guys DON'T know where they…only I do"  
"And what Steve? Your safety doesn't matter?"  
"Danny listen! Kono works for me! Her safety is MY responsibility"  
Chin broke in, "GUYS, STOP…..please stop…Steve, when are we leaving?"  
Danny put up his hands, "I'm sorry …."

Steve replied, "It's okay, we're all worried. Danny I need you to book us flights under alias's to Hong Kong and get our ID's and passports together . We'll rent a car there. They were staying in a small town about forty miles to the North. Chin, run reports on Michael Noshimuri's allies. We need to see who's left the country in the last few weeks. I need to call Denning" Looking over his shoulder as he moved away he added, "Hey guys, we're going to find them"

********* So? I hope you like the start - much, much more to come! *********


	2. Chapter 2

Doris had been finishing up in the bathroom when she heard the commotion coming from the other room. She instantly knew that they were in trouble and standing at the sink she pulled her cellphone from her pocket and sent a quick text to Steve, simply stating 'HELP'  
As she was pressing send, the invaders began pounding on the bathroom door. Thinking quickly she opened up a cabinet and placed her phone underneath a pile of folded towels closing the cabinet seconds before the bathroom door came crashing in.

Two large Asian men entered and grabbing Doris forcefully by the arms they pulled her into the living room where the others were. Two native Hawaiians were restraining Kono as four other men had Adam pinned to the ground, beating and kicking him mercilessly. Kono was crying out for them to stop but to no avail. Doris hollered, "YOU'RE KILLING HIM STOP, FOR GOD'S SAKE STOP!"

Doris then became fully aware of the extent of their troubles as one of the men replied angrily, "We can do whatever we want to do to him. The boss just wants you ladies in one piece"  
As the beating of Adam continued and Kono continued to struggle, Doris looked into the man's eyes and she knew…..she saw the evil behind the glare and she knew that Wo-Fat was behind this.

As she struggled against the man's grip he clamped down tighter on her arm and said, "He'll be here in about three hours….then the fun will really begin"  
A chill ran down her neck as she tried desperately to figure out what she could do.  
Adam was instinctively trying to protect his head and face with his arms and his attackers were reigning blows to his chest arms and abdomen. He wasn't crying out but he was groaning and gasping as each blow landed.

As Adam's body began to weaken the men stopped and grabbing a chair from the kitchen, they propped him onto it and tied his hands and feet together with rope they had brought.  
They shoved Kono and Doris onto the nearby couch and a man stood next to each of them, both with guns drawn and pointed at them.  
A ninth man who had stood off to the side during the beating then spoke, "Let me introduce myself ladies. My name is Hideki. This traitorous man is attempting to destroy the Noshimuri Enterprise that his Father…..my Uncle worked thirty years to build"

Kono gasped, "You're Adam's cousin?"  
"Yes, our Fathers were brothers. In fact I'm certain you both know of my Father, Koji Noshimuri"  
Doris replied…"Koji planted the bomb under my car…. he helped Joe White fake my death when I went into hiding"  
"Yes he did. Koji and Uncle Hiro were good men, but they were….shall I say, not cut-throat enough to take their Empire where it now needs to go. Wo Fat began silently aligning Hiro's men to take over the organization. Your beloved Adam here, unfortunately he's too much like his Father, too weak to do what has to be done. Michael on the other hand understood that in order to not only maintain, but to grow power on the Island he would need to branch off into more lucrative markets"

Kono replied, "You mean drug trafficking"  
"Of course pretty lady. Wo Fat and Michael were well into taking over the organization when Michael went to prison. It was decided to wait until his release to complete the coup and Wo Fat did what needed to be done in Michael's absence"

Kono noticed that Adam was watching and listening to his cousin as she said, "Wo Fat ordered the deaths of Koji and Hiro?"  
"Ahhhh…that would not be correct…Wo-Fat was behind the deaths, but the orders came from Michael"

Adam screamed out in pain and anger, "NO! NO! YOU'RE LYING HIDEKI. MICHAEL WOULDN'T DO THAT! HE WOULDN'T KILL HIS FAMILY!"

Hideki spun around to face Adam, "YOU ARE WRONG ADAM! YOU ARE WEAK AND PATHETIC! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND COUSIN, MICHAEL NOT ONLY KILLED HIS OWN FATHER AND UNCLE BUT HE ORDERED YOUR DEATH AS WELL!"

Tears streaked down Kono's face as she watched the man she loved be utterly destroyed. She mouthed his name over and over again but no sound came. She wanted to go to him, to hold him and comfort him but the man with the gun to her head stopped her.

Doris asked, "Why did they want Koji dead?"  
Hideki turned to Doris, "You know why…Shelburne. Wo-Fat learned about your husbands' search for your 'killer' from Governor Jameson so he ordered his death hoping you would re-surface for your children's sake. Then your son wouldn't back off and he was getting too close to identifying him, so Wo Fat targeted him as well. So tell me Doris…what kind of Mother abandons her children? What kind of Mother places her son in such danger?"

Tears were flowing down her cheeks and her voice was shaking with emotion as she said, "Go to hell you son-of-a-bitch"

**50505050505050505050505050505050**

Back in Hawaii the three men all worked with extreme efficiency on their duties despite the fear they felt for their friends.  
Less than an hour later they were sitting in Steve's office discussing their plan.  
"Okay guys, Denning is holding all of our cases until further notice. He offered us a private plane, but I'm thinking we can stay more covert by flying in commercially under aliases. Danny, is everything set?"

"Yeah, our flight leaves in four hours and it's almost a twelve hour flight. I've got our passports' and ID's together"  
"Good. Denning is contacting the American Embassy in Hong Kong and once we arrive we'll check in there and they'll set us up with the weapons we need. What did you find out Chin"

"This isn't going to be easy guys. I show six known Noshimuri members flying out in the last two weeks to Hong Kong"  
Steve replied, "Two weeks ago….. that's when I heard from Doris last. Damn it, how did Michael's men know where they were?"  
Danny inquired, "Did Denning tell anyone?"  
"He said he didn't…..but other than him, we're the only ones who knew"  
Danny ran his hand through his hair, "Steve…..do you think Wo Fat is involved in this?"  
"I don't know what to think buddy…..I just don't know. For now, we need to keep this between us and just concentrate on finding them. Whoever's behind this, they want Adam dead for killing Michael, and Kono and Doris could be paying for that as well. Let's get to our homes and pack our bags. I'll pick you both up in a couple of hours"

Locking up the office they all headed home to prepare for the flight.

As they were making their way to the airport Danny filled them in on their new identities and once they had checked in at the terminal they looked into the backgrounds of the Noshimuri hitmen that Chin had compiled.

On the flight, they all tried unsuccessfully to sleep. At one point as Danny dozed Chin turned to Steve, "I don't like this Steve"  
"We'll find them Chin"  
"I should never have encouraged her to go with him. This is my fault"  
"No Chin, you know better than that. She made her own decision. You gave her the best advice you could have given her"  
"What…to get on a boat to China with a wanted man?"

"No…to follow her heart. She loves him Chin. She needed to go with him, and now we need to find her…and we will"  
Tears welled in the Asian man's eyes as we responded softly, "Thank You"

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Adam was slipping in and out of consciousness. They had beaten him quite severely and he knew he had some broken ribs. His head was throbbing and one of his eyes had swollen shut. His lip was split and he was continually spitting blood. His left arm was his worst injury at this point though, he knew it was broken and having it pulled back and tied behind his back was causing excruciating pain.  
He sat quietly as he tried to process what Hideki had said, Michael…his little brother who he had adored, had sold out the family for the all mighty dollar. Tears came to his eyes as he thought of his Father and Uncle and how Michael had betrayed them both. Wo Fat had dismembered his Father….and it had been ordered by his own son. Had Wo Fat told him this as he was torturing him? Along with the physical pain, had he inflicted that emotional torture on him as well? Hiro was not a perfect man, but he did not deserve to die that way.

He raised his head and looked over at Kono. He should never have let her accompany him to China. He loved her….God he loved her, and because of his selfishness she now might die at the hands of these animals. Bowing his head so she couldn't see his tears, Adam cried.

Hideki's words played over and over again in Doris' head,_ '__What kind of Mother abandons her children? What kind of Mother places her son in such danger__' _His words cut into her heart but they were oh so true. Why hadn't she listen to Joe? He didn't feel it was safe for her to reappear in Steve's life, but she was missing him and Mary so desperately. After John was killed her need to see them again had simply become overwhelming. She had taken Joe's advice for twenty years….until now. She knew Steve had received her text and she was certain he was on the way to attempt to rescue them. One more selfish act of hers that now will endanger him greatly. She didn't even care what happened to her anymore. In fact, the truth was that her children would be safer if she were dead. She closed her eyes and silently prayed for Steve's safety. She also prayed for Kono and Adam…Wo-Fat was an animal…._'oh God please keep them safe'_

Kono watched Adam intently. His breathing was very labored. He had a gash on his forehead that was bleeding quite heavily. She saw him spitting blood and she hoped to God he wasn't bleeding internally. Hideki had moved into the kitchen and unfortunately she couldn't hear what they were saying. She had to figure out a way to get them out of her...but there were so many men...

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When the men arrived in Hong Kong they rented an SUV and headed to the American Embassy.  
Per directions from Governor Denning, Steve asked to speak with Ambassador Martin Wendt and they were escorted into his office.

After introductions, Steve explained what had happened in the U.S. and brought the man up to speed on the Noshimuri crime family.  
"So this son, Adam…..he's trying to legitimize the organization and his brother had other ideas…."  
"Yes sir. Adam killed Michael and was forced to leave Hawaii and go into hiding. Doris McGarrett and Kono Kalakaua accompanied him here to China.

"McGarrett? Is she related to you?"  
Steve hesitated slightly, "Yes sir, she's my Mother"  
"Your Mother?" He sighed before responding, "I don't feel very comfortable placing this kind of weaponry in your hands under these circumstances. Is this going to turn into a private vendetta Commander?"

"Sir, my Mother is an ex-CIA operative. I am a retired Navy SEAL Commander and the head of an elite Government Task Force in Hawaii. I can assure you that I will remain professional on this mission. And for full disclosure, you should also be aware that Kono Kalakaua is the fourth member of our Task Force and is a cousin of Officer Kelly"  
Wendt took a deep breath before stating, "Wonderful….so Detective Williams, are you related to Noshimuri by chance?"

They all smiled as Steve responded, "I'm certain that Governor Denning will attest to the professionalism and ethics of our team. Is this personal, yes…..it absolutely is, but we're going to find our people one way or another. I hope it will be with the assistance of our Embassy"

The Ambassador nodded, "It will be Commander"  
"Good, thank you Sir"  
"So other than providing weapons, what are you needing from me?"  
"At this time sir, nothing. We will take the weapons and be on our way. Once we rescue our people we will need to return here for aide and we may need to seek political asylum"

"You have my assurance that asylum will be provided to all of you. You need to know though that if anything goes wrong and you do not make it back here…..we will be forced to deny any knowledge of this mission"  
Steve nodded, "We understand sir"

******* HOPE YOU'RE ALL ENJOYING ….. THANK YOU FOR THE KIND REVIEWS AND THERE'S MUCH, MUCH MORE TO COME ! *******


	3. Chapter 3

******* I hope you're enjoying, I'd love to hear what you think ! *******

Within the hour the three men were in the SUV and heading down the freeway towards Shawan Bay on the South China Sea. Chin entered the address of the safe-house into the GPS as Danny read off an inventory of the weapons they had been given.  
"Six bullet proof vests, three night vision goggles, three AK47's, three Glock 22's, three Glock 27's, three Beretta's, two rifles…an M40 and an M16, eight hand grenades, eight smoke grenades, six lanyard knives, six tactical knives and a dozen throwing knives. Gentlemen, we've got flashlights and enough ammo for an invasion"

Steve glanced in the rear view mirror at his partner stating solemnly, "I'm afraid we may need it all partner"  
The men rode in silence as Danny and Chin prepared the weapons.  
Steve had been to Hong Kong several times and Shawan Bay once. Shawan Bay was beautiful but it also was quite remote. There were several caves in the area and if they had been moved from the safe house it would be very difficult to find them.

Danny glanced up and looked at his friend in the front seat. "What are you thinking Steve?"  
"Just concentrating buddy"  
"Yeah sure….."  
Steve replied "I'm just hoping they're still in the house. It's been almost seventeen hours since the text….shit, I hope we're not too late"

**505050505050505050505050505050**

15 HOURS EARLIER

The men had resumed beating Adam and they had been hitting and kicking him for almost two solid hours.  
Each time Kono or Doris would cry out for them to stop they too would receive a blow across the face.  
After an hour Adam had passed out, yet the thugs continued, pausing only to rest briefly every few minutes.

Kono was terrified for her lover….he was dying in front of her eyes and she decided she wasn't going to just let this happen. Without any regards for her personal safety she lunged forward off the couch.  
Following her lead, Doris also moved from the couch as the men standing guard moved quickly to grab them.  
Kono screamed, "LET ME GO TO HIM!"  
Hideki called from the kitchen, "LET THEM GO!"  
Releasing their grasps, the women were quickly at Adam's side. Doris stood protectively in front of him while Kono tenderly placed her hands on his battered face.

"Adam…Adam baby…..oh God" He remained unconscious as she stroked and kissed his bloodied face.  
Doris called out, "Hideki, untie him…please let us help him!"  
One of the thugs screamed, "LET US FINISH HIM OFF HIDEKI!"  
Hideki Noshimuri pulled a gun from his waistband, pointing it at his underling, "BACK OFF MARCUS! I'M IN CHARGE HERE, NOT YOU!"  
Marcus threw his hands in the air and turning, he moved quickly, storming from the house.  
Hideki waved the gun around wildly as he addressed the remaining seven men, "Does anyone else want to question my authority?" After several minutes of tense silence he again spoke, "Billy and Kai, untie him and carry him to the couch. Nozomi go get some towels and medical supplies from the bathroom"

Doris' heart sunk and she prayed that the man would not find the phone she had hidden in the cabinet.  
Adam woke, crying out in pain as he was untied and his broken arm fell to his side. "OOOHHHH SSHITTT"  
As Kono whispered into his ear trying to comfort him, Doris turn to Hideki, "I need to know….how did you find us?"  
He smiled slyly at her, "Contacts Doris…."  
"What are you saying?"  
"Huang Tan"  
"Huang?"  
"Yes, Wo Fat had come across Tan's name in researching you. Once we confronted him, we uuhhhh convinced him to give up your location"  
Doris gasped, "What did you do to him?"  
"Let's just say, it took a while to convince him…he was a very stubborn old man and very loyal to you"  
"Was? Oh my God you killed him?"  
"He's dead because YOU put him in danger Doris! YOU killed Tan! Just like you killed your husband and have endangered your son!"  
Nausea swept over her as she realized that Tan too, was dead because of her. This good, decent man was dead…..because of her. She turned and watched as the large men carried Adam, dumping him roughly onto the couch.

"OH GGGODD…..KKoono…KK..onno"  
Kono knelt on the floor at his side and she spoke through her tears, "I'm here baby…ssshhhhhhhh, I'm here"  
Doris looked up nervously as Nozomi exited the bathroom and walked towards them carrying only…her cellphone.

Kono was wiping blood from Adam's mouth as he struggled to speak, "KKono….I'mm sso ssorryy…..I llovve yyou"  
"Shhhhh baby, don't talk….we'll get you out of here. You just hang on"  
"Ttooo llate…. bbusted up bbabe"  
"Ssssshhhhh, don't quit Adam…..please, you have to keep fighting, oh God please….."  
"Itt's okay…yyou ddo wwhateever yy….you have to ddo to get oout…..you gget out of hhere honey"

Nozomi handed the phone to Hideki and he looked at the text sent.  
Holding the phone in front of him and shaking it, his anger was apparent, "So Doris…..I can assume you sent this message to your son?"  
She responded, "I don't know what you're talking about"  
She jumped in shock as he threw the phone forcefully and it crashed against the wall behind her.  
"DON'T YOU LIE TO ME DORIS! YOU LIE TO ME AND THAT PRETTY LITTLE LADY OVER THERE IS GOING TO PAY!"  
The older woman looked at Kono, sweet Kono who her son obviously adored. And she looked at Adam….with his one eye that was not swollen shut, she saw him pleading with her, pleading for her to protect Kono.

Doris turned to Hideki stating simply, "Yes…..I sent that to Steve"  
One of the men said quietly, "Oh shit"  
Hideki moved to Doris striking her hard across the face and knocking here to the ground.  
As he moved towards Doris the front door opened and Wo-Fat entered the room.

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Wo Fats' eyes fell onto Doris, who was rubbing her cheek.  
He looked at Hideki, "What's going on here? I told you not to touch her"  
"We have trouble boss. She was able to send a text to her son"  
He glanced back down at Doris and then looking at his men he said, "Get everything together, we're getting out of here"

Kono whispered to Adam, "Did you hear that Adam, Steve's on his way. You have to hold on baby"  
"Kono…."  
One of the men had given her a bottle of water and she lifted his head bringing the bottle to his lips, "Just take sips honey"  
As water dribbled down his chin he repeated, "Kono…."  
"Ssshhhhhhhh, rest….don't talk…rest now, ssshhhhhhhh" She tore a piece of his shirt and held it against the gash on his forehead.

Doris listened intently to the conversation between Wo Fat and Hideki.  
"Where are we taking them?"  
"Aotou Harbor"  
"Where we killed Tan?"  
"His home is empty now, right?"  
Hideki then asked, "What about Adam?"  
"When we're ready to leave…..YOU will kill him"  
Hideki's eyes moved to his cousin, then back to Wo Fat as he replied coldly, "Yes Sir"

As the men continued to talk a few feet away, Doris turned to Kono "They're taking us to Aotou Harbor, to Huang Tan's home"  
"What about Adam?"  
Doris couldn't tell her…she sighed and said softly, "They're leaving him here"  
With his eyes still closed, Adam said breathlessly, "I'll bbe ffine…..you two ffind a way out…don't wwworry 'bout me"

Over the next couple of hours Wo Fat's men tore the safe house apart making sure they had all their ID's, passports, phones and weapons. As they were preparing to leave, Kono leaned in and kissed Adam tenderly. His eye cracked open and he whispered, "Don't ever ffforgett how mmuch I love yyou Kono. You cchannged mmy life...I'm so ssorry baby"

Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she whispered, "Steve will be here soon…hold on baby" Kissing him again she said softly, "I love you Adam"

Wo Fat then approached, stating firmly "Let's go….now!"  
Two men grabbed Kono and Doris, pulling them away as Kono sobbed, "ADAM…OH GOD ADAM, I LOVE YOU"  
Moments later, Kono and Doris had been thrown into the back of a black van and as Wo Fats men all left the house, Hideki Noshimuri stood over the couch with a gun pointing at his cousin's chest.  
Adam heard the cocking of the gun and opening his eye he looked at his cousin.  
"Hideki, ppleease….. this hhas to sstop…. I love yyou"  
Tears were streaming down Hideki's eyes as he pulled the trigger, three times.

******** So what do you think? Please remember, reviews are greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading! Much more to come **********


	4. Chapter 4

As the gunshots rang out, Kono screamed "OH GOD NO! NO ADAM NO!"  
Doris grabbed her, "Kono stop…stop"  
The large man guarding them knelt at the closed door, his gun trained on the ladies.  
Wo Fat was sitting in the front passenger seat and he turned to face them, "Miss Kalakaua I suggest you stop screaming unless you want to face the same fate just dealt to your boyfriend"

Doris pulled the sobbing young woman to her chest and looking at Wo Fat she stated defiantly, "You've got me Wo Fat, I'm who you want. Let her go….for God's sake let her go. She's done nothing to you"

Wo Fat glared coldly at her, "Shelburne…..I have spent years searching for the woman who killed my Father and shortly you will pay for that crime. Running and hiding for twenty years while allowing your husband to get close to discovering my involvement led to his death and now your son…well we both know that Steve will never stop searching for me. But now he will find both of you dead and he will know that he failed to protect you"

"You think by killing Kono that Steve will then stop searching for you? You're insane!"  
"I know he will not stop, he will never stop until he is dead….but he will suffer first…..he will lose you and Kono. He will then lose Kelly, Joe White, and Miss Rollins. And when he thinks he can handle no more, he will then lose Williams and little Gracie. And I want you to know 'Shelburne', that every bit of pain your beloved son will endure is because of YOU!"

Doris closed her eyes as she held onto Kono tightly. As they backed out of the driveway Kono was sobbing and saying over and over again softly, "Adam…..oh my God, not Adam"  
"Shhhhhhhhh Kono…" She then whispered quietly into Kono's ear, "We have to make a break for it sweetheart, you have to follow my lead, okay?"  
Kono was shaking with emotion as she said through her tears, "Yes…..yes….."

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Back at the house Adam laid totally still for several minutes after hearing the cars leave the driveway. He knew the gunshots would never have been heard. This safe house was very isolated. He smiled weakly at the thought…safe house….this had ended up being anything but 'safe'. His eyes welled with tears and he turned his head slightly looking at the back of the couch that had been shredded by the three bullets that Hideki had pumped into it. God he hurt…..his belly felt horrible and his head was throbbing. He had to get to the phone in the kitchen…he had to call for help while he still could.

Rolling off the couch, he hit the ground with a thud.  
He screamed in anguish as his broken arm hit the hard floor.  
With every ounce of strength he had left, Adam Noshimuri dragged his beaten and bloodied body inch by inch across the floor towards the kitchen.

He had to get to the phone….he had to do this for Kono. _'Oh God please give me the strength to get there…please keep Kono safe…..'  
_He was having difficulty breathing and he was drenched in sweat and blood but he kept pushing forward...…he had to make it.

He saw the phone on the countertop and as he got close enough, he reached up and yanking on the chord he pulled the phone down on top of him. Bringing it to his ear, his heart sank as the line was dead…...no dial tone. The bastards had cut the lines.

Dropping the phone to his side, tears slid down his cheek as he closed his eyes and moments later the intense pain overwhelmed him and he surrendered to the darkness.

**505050505050505050505050505050**

Doris watched in silence as the van moved through the dark night. They had to try to escape now…she knew it would be the only chance they had to survive. She figured it would be at least nine to ten hours until Steve arrived in Hong Kong so they were going to have to save themselves.

She knew this area very well. In fact, Huang Tan's house had been the first place that Joe had brought her twenty years ago. She had remained in hiding here for six months before they feared Wo Fat was on to her. From then on, they moved her at least every two months. She blinked away tears as she knew Wo Fat was right…Huang was dead because of her.

She knew about the wooded area behind the house and of the path. The path led to the cliff, and if they could get to the cliff they would make it. It had been an escape route that Joe and Huang had planned out for her in case Wo Fat had ever shown up. Now the evil bastard sat ten feet away from her and the time to end this was now….

Doris had noted that the man guarding them was armed with an automatic rifle.  
She was on her knees and Kono was sitting next to her, their bodies touching. They were getting close to the house and Doris reached down, squeezing Kono's hand.  
Kono looked up at her and Doris nodded to her and mouthed '_Get ready'  
_Kono nodded to her knowingly and she waited, ready to follow Doris' lead.

Ten minutes later Doris made her move.  
As they were pulling onto the tree-filled property of Huang Tan, Doris lunged at the guard sitting a few feet in front of them.  
Kono moved quickly as well and the two ladies were able to catch the large man off-guard driving him back against the wall of the van.  
With one hand, Doris slammed the man's head against the van as Kono drove her knee into his groin area. The blows caused him to loosen his grip on his weapon and in a matter of seconds Doris had her finger on the trigger of the rifle.

Kono struck the guard in the throat incapacitating him as Doris pulled the trigger on the gun.  
Several shots rang out lighting up the darkened interior of the vehicle and the driver was struck in the head causing the van to careen out of control.  
As Wo Fat leaned over the dead driver attempting to gain control of the vehicle, Doris hollered out, "GO KONO, GO!"  
The two women rolled to the back of the van, opening the back door and jumping only moments before the vehicle struck a tree.

As the headlights of the two other vehicles drew closer, Doris grabbed Kono's hand and pulled her from the ground.  
"Come on Kono, we have to move!"  
They began to run towards the back of the house…towards the cliff.

As they ran, they heard the sounds of multiple gunshots echoing through the still night air as the men fired in their direction unable to see them in the pitch black night.  
Just before they reached the path, Kono let out a muffled scream and fell to the ground as a bullet struck her.  
"KONO!"  
"I'm hit….in the leg….help me up, we've got to go"  
Pulling Kono to her feet and throwing her arm around the young woman's waist, Doris helped her onto the path and into the protection of the Acacia, Pine and Ash trees.

Wo Fat had been unharmed as the van had crashed and as the other vehicles pulled into the yard he hollered at the men to go after the girls. The man who had been guarding them was sitting on the opened back of the van as Wo Fat approached him.  
Looking up at his boss he stated nervously, ""Boss…I'm sorry…..they caught me off guard"  
Wo Fat smiled and without saying a word he pulled a pistol from his waistband and fired a single bullet, hitting the man right between the eyes, killing him.

Doris and Kono could hear the men calling out to each other as they made their way into the wooded area. In the dark of the night they would make very slow time though….as long as they didn't find the path.  
Several minutes later, the ladies cleared the woods and hearing the waves from the Sea below they walked the few feet to the edge of the cliff.

"How's your leg Kono?"  
"It's fine. What are we going to do?"  
"We're going to jump?"  
"What? Are you crazy?"  
"Kono….we don't have time for me to explain right now. I know this area well. If we're going to get out of this alive, I need you to trust me sweetheart"

Doris then smiled at her and a warmth came over Kono, the same warmth the she felt with Steve's smile.  
Doris reached out her hand and as Kono took it, they stood with their feet on the edge of the cliff.  
Turning to each other and smiling again...….the women jumped.

*********** So, what do you think? I hope you're still enjoying and THANKS for reading and reviewing! ************


	5. Chapter 5

They hit the water forcefully popping up a few feet apart from each other.  
"KONO, KONO!"  
"HERE, I'M HERE…"  
Doris swam to her side, "How's your leg, can you swim?"  
"Yeah…..yeah, I'm good"  
"It's not far Kono….follow me"  
The two swam about half a mile to the isolated cave hidden behind tall brush and shrubbery on a small inlet.

Doris helped Kono out of the water and into the damp, musty cave.  
Propping the injured woman up against the wall of the cave, Doris stroked her cheek lovingly as she said, "Don't move, I'll be right back"  
Kono closed her eyes and taking a deep breath she said softly, "K…..'k, I'm good….I'm good"

Doris moved to the back of the cave hoping the bag would still be there.  
Going by memory, she felt along the walls of the pitch black cave until she felt the rough, protruding rock. Standing on her tiptoes she reached up to the ledge and feeling around, her hand soon touched the canvas bag. Pulling it down she made her way back to Kono's side.

Sitting next to her, Kono inquired "What's that?"  
"Supplies and clothes"  
"What?"  
"Twenty years ago Joe brought me here, to Huang Tan's home to hide from Wo-Fat. It was the first of many 'safe houses' for me. I was here for six months and during that time we planned this escape route" As she continued relating the story, she opened the bag "We put this bag of emergency supplies here…..in case I needed to hide out"

She took out a bottle of water and handed it to Kono. She then pulled out a plastic bag with an emergency candle and matches.  
After lighting the candle, she pulled out some clothes.  
Kono chuckled, "You thought of everything huh?"  
"We tried" Kono watched on as Doris pulled off her wet clothes and changed.  
"Not bad Doris, they fit you after twenty years"  
"They don't smell the best, but at least they're dry. Let's get you changed now"  
As Kono pulled off her wet shirt and slipped a dry sweatshirt over her head, Doris moved down to her leg with a first aid kit and a knife.

Cutting away the pant leg she looked at the wound just above Kono's right knee.  
"Well this doesn't look too bad, we just need to stop the bleeding"  
Pulling another shirt from the large duffel bag, Doris cut it and then moving swiftly she applied a tourniquet to her leg. Then she sanitized the wound with a bottle of whisky, packed the bullet hole with cotton and bandaged it.

Doris then cut the jeans away and helped Kono slip into a pair of sweatpants.  
"Are you okay?"  
"Yeah…..Doris…..thank you"  
"Of course" She then pulled a blanket from the bag and tucked it around Kono's shivering body. "There you go sweetheart"  
Tears slipped down Kono's cheeks and Doris reached over and tenderly wiped them away. She was mourning the death of Adam and she would shed many tears over the next few weeks. Doris spoke to her softly, "Close your eyes and rest Kono….."

Kono's body was exhausted and her leg was throbbing. She knew she had lost a lot of blood and she was lightheaded. Closing her eyes she fell asleep in minutes.

**505050505050505050505050505050505050**

Wo Fats men continued to scour the wooded area around the Tan home but had no luck finding the ladies.  
He was irate as group after group would come back empty handed. He found several flashlights and lanterns in Tan's shed and giving them to the men as they returned, he would then send them back out.

Eventually they found the narrow dirt path and with Wo Fat joining three other's, they made their way quickly down it.  
When they reached the cliff's edge, they trained their flashlights over it, seeing nothing but blackness.  
"Do you think they jumped Boss?"  
"I don't know…..I'm not sure how far the drop is" He turned back to the men, "Keep searching"  
Pushing past the much larger men Wo Fat returned to the path and made his way back to the house.

**505050505050505050505050505050505050**

As Kono slept, Doris took two pistols from the bag, cleaned and loaded them.  
If Kono wasn't injured, they would be walking out of here right now. This inlet led to a back road that would take them to Aozai Bay where they could catch a cab to Hong Kong. But there was no way they could make that trek now. They were going to have to hunker down here and wait for Steve….

A couple of hours passed quietly before Kono woke, screaming "ADAM! NO!...OH GOD NO!"  
Doris knelt at her side and put her hand on her shoulders, "Kono, sweetheart wake up"  
Kono's eyes opened and the pain in them was obvious. As tears slid down her cheeks she raised a hand to wipe them away.  
Doris tried to comfort her, "Kono, I'm so very sorry about Adam"  
"He was such a good man Doris….he was trying so hard to legitimatize his business. He wanted to do the right thing, he really did"  
"I know that, and the guys knew that. We wouldn't have been trying to help him hide out if we all didn't believe that. We wanted to keep him safe Kono…I'm so sorry"  
Kono was crying as she replied softly, "I know...Oh God, I loved him…"  
Doris sat on the ground and putting an arm around her, she pulled the young woman to her chest.

Several minutes passed before Kono asked, "How are we getting out of here?"  
"We're not Kono….we're waiting for Steve"  
Pulling away she said, "No Doris…we have to move. We're sitting ducks here"  
"Kono, with that bullet wound, we'll never make it out of here. I think it's safer to wait for help"  
"If they find us, they'll kill us"  
"We have weapons, and plenty of ammo" She handed her a pistol.  
"These have been here for twenty years?"  
"Yes…..don't worry I cleaned them"  
Kono shook her head, "Doris there are ten of them….."  
"Yeah…but Steve's told me you're a damn good shot"  
"I don't know if I'm THAT good"  
"Well my dear, I'm not bad myself and anyway, they're not going to find us"  
"How can you be so sure?"  
"Huang's grandson had stumbled across this cave. In the dark, you couldn't see…but it's extremely well hidden. Plus, I don't think anyone's been here in twenty years"  
"Why do you say that?"  
"The guns are still here, and that was a hell of a good bottle of whiskey we used to clean out your leg"  
Kono grinned, "If we're hidden so well, how will Steve find us?"  
Doris smiled widely, "He's my boy…he'll find us"

Kono chuckled and Doris asked, "What's so funny?"  
"Nothing….it's your smile"  
"My smile? What's wrong with my smile?"  
Laughing, Kono replied "That's EXACTLY what he said!"  
"What are you talking about?"

Kono told her about the conversation she had with Steve and of her love for his charming and infectious smile, adding "He gets his smile from you Doris"  
"Well thank you Kono, now let's make sure we both get to see that smile again! Are you hungry?"  
"I'm starving! You've got food in there too?"  
Smiling, Doris pulled packages of military rations from the bag.  
Kono turned up her nose, "Ooooohhhh rations?"  
"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it kid!"  
Kono had to admit that it wasn't TOO bad, as together they shared a meal of Beef Stew, dried Bananas, Pineapple and Papaya and warm (but wet!) water before closing their eyes and falling asleep.

******* A shorter chapter, sorry… I hope you're still enjoying and I really would love to hear what you think. Please never forget…reviews really do motivate ! *******


	6. Chapter 6

It was about three thirty in the morning when the SUV neared the safe house. Steve pulled to the side of the road so he could put on his bullet-proof vest. The men all stood outside the vehicle for a few minutes discussing how they were going to approach the house.

"We'll move in from here on foot. Are the weapons all ready?"  
Danny replied, "Yeah, here you go" He handed Steve his vest, goggles and several weapons.  
Once ready, Steve locked up the vehicle "Let's get them out of there guys"

They walked off the main road staying hidden by the trees and brush the final half mile to the safe-house.  
As they viewed the home from across the street, the lights were on but they saw no movement inside. Noting there were no vehicles in the driveway Chin stated, "Looks pretty quiet Steve"  
Without taking his eyes off the house the SEAL responded, "Too quiet. Okay….Chin you flank to the left, Danno to the right... I'm going through the front door. You ready?"

Both men responded in the affirmative and after their goggles were in place, they all moved stealthily towards the small home.  
As Chin moved towards the back of the home and Danny looked through the front bay window, Steve took position at the front door.  
Danny looked at him, motioning for him to hold up and crouching down he ran across the front of the home to Steve's side.  
He said softly, "There's one man down. I don't see any other movement"  
"Okay D', let's go" Reaching out Steve turned the unlocked front door and the two men quietly slipped inside.  
They moved efficiently through the home finding each room ransacked and empty before they moved back to the front of the house to join Chin.

Removing their goggles as they approached, Chin looked up at them "It's Adam"  
Steve asked fearfully, "Is he alive?"  
Chin responded softly, "Barely…Kono?"  
"No brother….the house is empty"  
Kneeling down, Steve and Chin gently rolled Adam over onto his back.  
Danny said, "Oh shit…." as they looked at the seriously beaten man.  
The gash on his forehead was still bleeding slightly, and his right eye was swollen shut. His nose was broken and lip was split and swollen. His broken left arm had swelled to twice its normal size and Steve lifted his shirt up exposing his severely bruised abdomen.

Adam began to moan and Steve grabbed hold of his right hand firmly, "Adam…..Adam…its McGarrett, can you hear me?"  
He slowly opened his uninjured eye and with a shaking voice he said, "Steve…."  
"Yeah, yeah buddy it's me. Chin and Danny are here too. Adam….can you tell me where they took Kono and Doris?"  
"Kono….ooh GGodd…..Kono"  
Steve placed his other hand on Adam's cheek, "Adam listen…..I need you to concentrate…do you know where they took the girls?"  
"Yyyeah…Tan…..Tttan….Aotou Hhharbbor"  
"Okay, okay good….we'll get you help and we'll find them okay? You just hang on" Steve turned to Danny, "Danno call for an ambulance"

"Stteve….nno aambulance…..."  
"Hey listen to me. You need a Doctor buddy….we'll find Kono and we'll come get you. The American Embassy is helping us. You just have to hang on okay because Kono needs you….she loves you" He again turned, "Danno... call partner"  
Chin then knelt down to comfort Adam as Steve pulled out his cellphone and dialed Joe White.

Steve walked into the living room as Joe answered, "Hello"  
"Joe, hey it's Steve. I don't have a lot of time…..Doris and Kono are in danger. We're in China and I'm being told they've been taken to Tan's, what can you tell me?"

Joe told him about Tan and gave him directions to the man's home. He told him about the pre-arranged escape plan and the location of the cave. "And Steve, be careful…we hid guns in the cave, so the girls will be armed"  
"Thank you Joe. I'll call you once this is over"  
Hanging up, Danny told him "The ambulance is on the way"

Steve said, "Okay…..we gotta go" He leaned down to Adam, "Adam, do you know how many men there were?"  
"UUmmm...nno nnot ssure...a few...Steve, it's WWo Fat..."  
Steve's face tensed as he responded, "Okay buddy, we'll find them. Help is on the way and we can't be here"  
"I know…..gggo, go find thheem…"  
"We'll come back to get you. I promise"

The men quickly left the house and as they were nearing their SUV, the ambulance and two police cars sped past them with lights blazing.

**505050505050505050505050505050**

As they entered the SUV Steve told Danny and Chin about Huang Tan, the escape plan they had devised and the cave.  
Danny was sitting next to him and as Steve looked back at Chin, he saw the fear in his friend's eyes, "Hey Chin, we're going to find her buddy" With no other words spoken, Steve sped off towards Aotou Harbor.

Back at Tan's, it was pitch black as the night was cloudy and there was very little moonlight. They had turned the vehicles with their headlights high beams trained on the woods, giving them some light. Wo Fat and Hideki Noshimuri stood watching as three teams of two men each spread out scouring the woods all armed with flashlights.

Danny had plugged Tan's address into the vehicles GPS and Steve pulled off the road about half a mile from the home. A short time later they were approaching the house and slipping unnoticed behind the van. Still wearing their night vision goggles the headlights made it difficult for them to see out into the yard. Noting the two dead men in the van they were still unsure of how many men they would be facing.  
On Steve's orders, the other's each moved with quiet efficiency to the doors of the other vehicles.  
As Steve motioned with his fingers counting, three…..two….one they all moved in unison reaching inside and shutting off the headlights of the vehicles.

Wo Fat and Noshimuri spun towards the men with their guns drawn as Steve hollered, "FIVE-0, DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"  
Chin had taken cover behind the truck that was parked the closet to the home and Danny was behind the middle vehicle, an SUV.  
Steve stepped away from the protection of the van moving towards the two villains with his gun drawn. The men slowly raised their hands as Steve screamed again, "WO FAT, I SAID DROP YOUR WEAPON NOW!"

Suddenly Danny called out, "FOUR TO THE LEFT STEVE!" as he spotted four men exiting the woods. Before any other words were spoken, Hideki Noshimuri pulled his gun down and began firing towards Steve. As the first shots rang out, Steve fired back and the four men coming from the woods all dropped to their knees firing their automatic weapons towards the truck. The other two villains came from the woods, firing at the agents as well.

Gunfire lit up the darkened night and being fully exposed, Steve was instantly hit, his body thrown backwards by the force of the impact.

As Steve was hit, Chin trained his weapon on Noshimuri and the two began firing at each other. As this was happening the two other villains raced to the aid of Wo Fat and Noshimuri. Thinking quickly, Danny pulled the pin and threw a grenade towards the four men firing on them. The grenade went off several seconds later sending the men all flying through the air. In the confusion of the battle and with Steve down and Danny and Chin distracted, Wo Fat ran past the van, crossing the street and escaping into the woods.

A few moments later the gun battle was over with Noshimuri and the other two men having all been hit.  
Chin ran out with his gun drawn to check the men hit with the grenade as Danny checked on the other three.  
Noting that the four men were all dead Chin called out as he reached Danny, "They're all dead…..them?"  
"One is…cuff that one will you…"  
As they worked on handcuffing the two injured men, Danny called out to his much too still partner, "STEVE, STEVE!"  
Moments later they were at Steve's side rolling him onto his back.

******** MORE TO FOLLOW – I HOPE YOU'RE STILL ENJOYING ? ********


	7. Chapter 7

Chin aimed a flashlight over Steve's body as Danny frantically searched his partner for blood and wounds, thankfully finding none.  
As Danny began to undo the straps on Steve's vest he came to, gasping for air and instinctively grabbing Danny's wrist and twisting it forcefully.

Danny screamed out in pain, "OWE, SHIT STEVEN STOP!"  
Chin grabbed the SEAL's shoulders, "STEVE, LET GO BRAH! IT'S DANNY!"  
Steve released his grip and instantly tried to push himself up.

Chin spoke to him as Danny turned away in obvious pain, "Steve, relax a minute okay"  
His voice was pained as Steve replied, "Where's Wo Fat?"  
Chin shook his head, "He got away brother, sorry"  
"Damn it…we had him Chin! Have you checked the house yet?"  
That question pushed Danny over the edge and cradling his injured wrist to his chest he turned to Steve, "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME STEVE! PLEASE FORGIVE US FOR CHECKING ON YOU FIRST! SHIT, WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!"

Chin looked at the men asking, "Hey, calm down…...Danny, are you alright?"  
"NO, NO I'M NOT!…." He looked at Steve adding, "You broke my damn wrist partner"  
Steve sat up with Chin's help, "Oh geez Danny, I'm sorry man….I didn't mean to"  
Danny grinned "Oh no babe, you meant to! It's not your fault though you were out of it and those crazy ass SEAL instincts of yours kicked in. Did you get hit anywhere other than the vest?"

Steve ran his hands across his body, "No…..no, I don't think so"  
Leaving the men briefly, Chin went to the van and turned the headlights on giving them light.  
Steve opened his vest as he spoke, "Come here Danny, let me see your arm"  
The Jersey detective mumbled, "Haven't you done enough damage…" as he knelt at Steve's side.  
Gently taking hold of the wrist Steve said, "Yup…..it's broken"  
Danny responded sarcastically, "No shit Sherlock, just set it for me will you"  
"Let's go to the house, There's better light in there and we need some supplies"  
As Danny stood, Chin reached down and taking Steve's hands he helped him to his feet. He staggered slightly as he stood and Chin grabbed him around the waist, steadying him, "Take it slow…..are you okay?"

Steve shook his head, "Yeah, I'm fine. Where's my gun?"  
Danny moaned as he reached down picking up Steve's gun and handing it to him.  
"Thanks. Danno, you stay behind us while we check out the house…..….let's go"  
Their eyes scoured the property as they approached the house and once inside Danny sat at the kitchen table as the two men searched the rooms, returning a short time later.

Steve was carrying a first aid kit as he told Danny, "The place is clear" Glancing at Chin he asked, "Can you find something to use as a splint?"  
Setting the supplies down he removed his vest as Danny asked, "How many hits did you take?"  
Looking closely, Steve replied "Looks like five"  
"Damn, thank God you were wearing that buddy. Lift up your shirt for me"  
"What?"  
"You heard me, now lift up your shirt"

Deciding not to argue the point, Steve moaned in pain as he pulled up his t-shirt.  
The bruising from the rounds was already bad and Danny sighed deeply, knowing if Steve hadn't of had that vest on he would almost certainly be dead right now.  
Chin returned stating "Ouch…you sure you're okay boss?"  
"Just bruised….I'm fine guys. What'd you find?"  
Chin handed him two unused paint stirring sticks, "Perfect…Okay Danno, are you ready?"  
"As ready as I'll ever be"

Once Steve had the gauze bandaging, tape and scissors ready Danny grasped the handle of the chair tightly with his right hand while Chin stood behind him and held his shoulders firmly.  
Steve looked at him and said, "On three….one, two, THREE"  
Danny screamed and cursed in agony as the bones cracked loudly as Steve pulled his wrist back into place. He moved quickly, stabilizing the wrist between the sticks and taping it firmly.

Chin grabbed three bottles of water from the fridge and as they all drank Steve asked, "You okay Danno?"  
"Yeah babe…it feels better already"  
Steve grinned, "You're a lying piece of shit you know that?"  
"Yeah I know….let's go find the girls"  
Chin then asked, "What are we going to do with those two?"  
Steve replied, "What? You didn't kill them all?"  
"Five are dead, two are injured"  
Steve sighed, "Okay…..how badly are they hurt?"  
"They'll live"  
"Can you go and grab their ID's and we'll call an ambulance for them after we find the girls"  
"Sure"  
As Chin left Steve turned back to Danny, "You ready?"  
"I sure am, let's go"

Soon the men were back in the SUV and following the directions Joe had given him, Steve drove down a narrow, winding side road that would lead them to the inlet on the China Sea and the numerous caves that occupied it.

**505050505050505050505050505050**

They watched carefully, making sure they weren't being followed and soon they were at the inlet. Following Joe's instructions Steve drove slowly off the road parking the vehicle in the high brush, concealing it. Exiting the vehicle and armed with flashlights they moved forward.

A short time later they found the marked tree at the back of the cave that Joe had described. As Danny and Chin stood guard, Steve moved alone along a narrow path towards the well hidden entrance. As he grew near he called out to his Mother and Kono, not wanting to surprise the armed women.

Doris woke upon hearing him, and leaving Kono's side she called out to him as she moved towards the entrance.  
"STEVE, WE'RE HERE!"  
As Steve entered through the brush and hanging vines, the two embraced.  
He inquired "Are you okay? Where's Kono?"  
"I'm fine. She's here but she was shot when we escaped"  
"How bad?"  
As they walked on Doris filled him in, "She was hit in the leg, just above the knee. Infection has set in and she's running a fever"  
In the candlelight Steve could see that Kono was sweating profusely and she was shivering under the musty blanket.  
Kneeling, he placed a hand on the unconscious woman's forehead, "She's burning up. We've got to get out of here. Mom, do you know how many men there were?"

"Yeah, two were killed when we escaped so unless more arrived, there should be eight"  
"Okay good"  
"Are they dead?"  
"Five are dead, two are injured….and Wo Fat got away"  
She saw the disappointment on his face, "Steve…let's not worry about that now. We'll find him son"  
Steve nodded, "Danny and Chin are at the back of the cave and our vehicle is about half a mile down the road. I'm going to carry her, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah" Doris put Kono's gun back into the duffel bag and then zipping it up she threw it over her shoulder.  
Steve removed his bullet proof vest and handed it to Doris, "Here put this on"  
"I thought you took them out"  
"We don't have time to argue Mom, just do it please…..just in case, okay?"

As Doris put on the vest, Steve scooped Kono into his strong arms with her head coming to rest on his chest. She moaned and opened her eyes, "Steve?"

"Yeah baby, it's me…..you just relax and I'll get you out of here now okay?"  
She replied weakly, "Steve….Adam…..oh God, my Adam"  
"Hey, listen to me. Adam's okay"  
"What?" Tears fell from her eyes, "He's alive"  
"As far as I know. We called an ambulance for him"  
"Oh thank God…oh thank God. I can walk boss….."  
He smiled down at her, "I think it'll be quicker if I carry you. You just close your eyes, I've got you"  
"Uhhhh…huh…okay…"

Leaving the cave, Steve moved gingerly along the narrow path as Doris led the way with a flashlight guiding their way. One misstep and he would topple into the Sea. He could feel the heat radiating from Kono's fever-raged body against his chest and although he typically would have no trouble carrying her, he was struggling. The blows to his chest had weakened him and damn they sure hurt. He could possibly have a couple of cracked ribs. He took short wispy breathes as he worked to block out the physical pain. Every so often Kono would moan and he would whisper softly to her, "Relax sweetheart, you're going to be fine now….I've got you Kono"

As they reached the back of the cave, Chin stepped forward and took his cousin from Steve's arms.  
Doris looked back at her son as he clutched his chest, "Steve, are you alright?"  
He replied breathlessly, "I'm fine….."  
Danny stepped to his side and handed him his water, "Here take this….."  
As they walked towards the SUV, Chin asked "What happened to her?"  
Doris told them, "She was shot. She was hit just above the knee. I cleaned it the best I could but the Sea water must have brought on an infection"

Danny stated, "Well let's get her back to the Embassy and get her help. Steve, it looks like you need some help too….you're pretty pale partner"  
"I'm fine Danno just a little sore"  
As they arrived at the vehicle, Chin said, "Get in the back with Kono boss…..and that's an order. I'll drive"  
Steve didn't have the strength to even argue and soon they were on the road and traveling back to the Embassy…to their sanctuary.

****** More to follow….I hope you're still enjoying ******


	8. Chapter 8

Doris was in the back seat with Steve as Kono laid across them with her head resting in Steve's lap. Danny had wet a shirt and Steve was tenderly wiping her face and neck as they all discussed what had happened.

Doris was clearly shaken, "I really thought Adam and Kono would be safe here. I had no idea that Wo Fat knew about Tan. Huang was a good, decent man and Wo Fat tortured and killed him….he's dead because of me"  
Steve responded, "He's dead because Wo Fat is an evil, brutal son-of-a-bitch Mom. It's not your fault"  
Doris fought back tears and Steve tipped his head back, closing his eyes. When they parted ways in Oahu only weeks ago her last words to him had been, _"To be continued…"_ So much had been left unanswered but he wasn't going to press her now…..it wasn't the right time.

Danny had turned and was watching his partner from the front seat. He knew all too well the pain and confusion that Steve had been going through since Doris had re-appeared back in his life. Steve had been tormented by her 'death' when he was sixteen and to say that he had trust issues regarding her would be a gross understatement. But he did love her. Danny knew he needed to say something to help his partner so he turned to the older woman, "Sending Steve that text message saved your lives…YOU did that Doris. There were ten of them….TEN…..you, Kono and Adam are alive because of your actions. You're alive! We'll find that bastard and I mean WE, all of us. You're not alone in this search, I promise you"  
Doris answered emotionally, "Thank you…all of you"

Kono began to stir in his lap and Steve spoke to her softly as he dabbed her sweat drenched face, "Relax Kono"  
"Steve…I don't feel so good"  
He stroked her cheek gently, "I know…. we're almost there honey"  
"Okay….okay" Her breathing had become more rapid and she was obviously very uncomfortable.  
"Ssshhhhhhh Kono…..relax….ssshhhhhhhh closed your eyes and relax, I've got you"

Chin asked, "How's she doing Steve?"  
"She's hanging in there" We smiled down at his young charge, "She's tough"

Doris then asked "What happened to you Steve? Were you hurt?"  
"No, I'm fine"  
Danny chuckled, "No he wasn't hurt…..he was just shot FIVE times!"  
Before his Mother could even respond, Steve stated "In the vest Danny, that's all"  
"Uh huh…that's all….." Danny then turned to Doris adding, "I love your son dearly, but you do know he is an animal, don't you?"  
They enjoyed the brief moment of brevity, and a short time later they were all greatly relieved to be pulling up to the Embassy gate, where the guard had them pull around to the back of the main building after checking with Ambassador Wendt.

**5050505050505050505050505050**

They were met at the back entrance by several armed men and Chin carried Kono as the group was led into the building.  
They were taken directly to the Medical Infirmary and Kono was taken immediately into surgery while the others were all taken to rooms to be examined. Once Steve's ribs were bandaged up he was taken to the Ambassador's office.

Standing, the Ambassador motioned to him, "Have a seat Commander. Can I get you anything to drink?"  
"A cup of coffee would be great Sir"  
Pouring the coffee, he asked "Cream or sugar?"  
"No, black is fine Sir, thank you"  
After handing Steve the coffee he inquired, "What's the report from the Doctor?"  
"I'm fine. I have a couple of cracked ribs and some bruising. They're casting Detective Williams broken wrist and they're still working on Officer Kalakaua"  
"Well I hope she recovers fully"  
"Me too Sir, thank you"  
"So, please fill me in on everything"  
Steve relayed every detail of the mission including the information he had received from Doris, adding "Sir, we're going to need Embassy assistance in getting our man released from the Hospital and brought here. I also would request that the two injured perpetrators be treated and then extradited back to Hawaii for trial"

"I will see to it that these things happen. Once I make the formal request the Chinese Government will want answers about what happened"  
"You need plausible deniability Sir…I understand that is necessary. All they need to know is that my team entered the country covertly to free Americans being held hostage. The men killed, as well as the two injured men were members of a drug cartel based out of Hawaii. You knew nothing about our mission until we showed up at your gate this morning seeking asylum. There are no records to prove anything else Sir"

"And that is what they will be told. I will get back to you as soon as I speak with the Chinese Consulate"  
Standing and shaking hands firmly, Steve excused himself wanting to get back to Kono. "Thank You Sir"  
"You're welcome Commander"

**5050505050505050505050505050**

Steve returned to the room to find Danny back, a cast covering his left arm from his knuckles to his elbow.  
"How you doing Danno?"  
"I'm fine buddy. Gracie's going to have fun coloring this! How did it go?"  
"Good, real good. We've got the full backing of the Embassy. Now listen, if ANYONE wants to talk to any of you other than the Ambassador himself, you don't say a word, send them to me. Once Kono and Adam are healthy enough to travel, we'll be escorted out of the country"

Chin asked, "What about Wo Fats injured men?"  
"The Ambassador will request that they be extradited back to Hawaii. Is there any word on Kono yet?"  
"No, not yet"  
Doris moved to his side and handed him a cup of coffee. He smiled at her, saying softly "Thank You"  
She then asked, "How are you feeling Steve?"  
"I'm good, just a little sore. I've got a couple of cracked ribs. I'll be much better after we hear about Kono and Adam"

They didn't have to wait long as a man identifying himself as Doctor Randall Warren entered the room a short time later.  
Asking them all to sit, he filled them in "Miss Kalakaua is going to be fine. I was able to get to the bullet easily and there was no injury to the bone, it's all tissue and muscle damage. She'll be sore, but she should recover fully. I noted the scar on her knee, do any of you know anything about her previous injury?"

Chin nodded, "Yes, about seven years ago she blew out her knee surfing. She damaged the kneecap itself and the tendons and muscles just above it"  
"Okay, this damage is all below the kneecap. She is running a fever and is battling an infection. We'll keep her on IV antibiotics for a couple of days and then transition her to oral meds. She's young and strong, she should be just fine"

The group all thanked the Doctor and then Steve asked, "Doc, have you heard anything about our other man, Adam Noshimuri?"  
"No, I'm sorry I haven't heard anything yet. I know the Ambassador has located him though and I'm sure he'll have an update for you soon"  
"When can we see Kono?"  
"She'll be in her room in about an hour. I'll be back to take you to her"  
"Thank You Doc"

They were all exhausted as none of them had gotten much sleep over the last forty eight hours, but they all felt great relief…. Kono was going to be fine, Doris was fine and now they just needed to hear about Adam….

An aide to the Ambassador came into the room a short time later and escorted them one by one to their rooms so they could change and clean up. They then sat sipping coffee while they waited.  
Ambassador Wendt entered the room along with Doctor Warren a little before ten in the morning.  
The Doctor spoke first, "I have very good news for you. Adam Noshimuri is in serious condition, but it is expected that he will fully recover from his wounds. He did suffer a lacerated liver but surgery to repair that went very well. He has several broken bones and severe bruising but nothing that should cause any long term issues"

Steve sighed deeply and they all smiled at the news, "So when can he be brought here?"  
Ambassador Wendt spoke, "He's being transferred here as we speak. I sent my Senior Councilor as well as a Doctor and two Nurses to escort Mr. Noshimuri back here. He should arrive in about thirty minutes" He smiled as he added, "Now, are you ready to see Ms. Kalakaua?"

Steve shook his hand and grinned broadly as he stated, "We sure are Sir…..thank you….thank you both for everything you've done"

******** Much more to follow…..********


	9. Chapter 9

The group was brought into the room where Kono lay on a hospital bed.  
She was unconscious, but her color was good. A nasal cannula was in place and she had two IV lines running into her hand, pumping saline and antibiotics into her bloodstream.

The others stood around the bed as Chin moved to his cousin's side, taking her hand in his.  
Steve said softly, "She looks good Chin. She's going to be fine brah"  
Chin looked up at his teammates...his dear friends, "Thank you guys" He then turned to Doris, "Doris, I don't know what to say"  
Doris grinned softly, "You've already said it. She's an amazing young woman"

About twenty minutes passed before Kono's eyes began to slowly flutter open.  
Chin squeezed her hand tightly as Doris stood on the other side of the bed tenderly stroking her forearm.  
Chin spoke softly, "Hey kid, how do you feel?"  
"Okay….I'm a little nauseated"  
"It's the pain meds you're on, but they got the bullet out and you're going to be just fine"  
"Chin….what about Adam?"  
He heard the fear in her voice and he smiled down at her lovingly, "He's alive honey and he's going to be fine"  
"Oh my God Chin….really?" Tears of relief streamed down her cheeks and Doris reached up to wipe them away.

Steve was standing next to his Mother and Danny was at the foot of the bed. They all smiled at her as her eyes moved to each of them.  
Steve then told Kono what they had been told about Adam's condition and that he should be arriving here soon.  
Kono said softly, "It's over…..oh God, it's over"  
Chin reached down and kissed Kono's cheek, "Yes it is, you're safe baby. Close your eyes and rest. We'll wake you when Adam arrives"  
The young woman closed her eyes and quickly drifted off.

A few minutes later they all turned their attention to the door of the room as Adam was wheeled in.  
They all had previously seen the injuries, but even so his condition shocked them. Steve had seen many badly injured men over the years and if the Doctor hadn't assured him that Adam was doing well, he wouldn't have believed it by his appearance.

They all watched on as the Asian man was transferred onto a bed just a few feet from Kono.  
Steve moved to his side as Doctor Warren checked his vitals and hooked him up to all the necessary machines.  
After several minutes Steve inquired, "How is he?"  
"As good as can be expected"  
Steve watched as the Doctor pulled the blanket back, exposing Adam's chest and abdomen. He peeled back the tape on his lower belly and side, checking the surgical wound. It looked very sore, but very clean. The bruising on his stomach and chest was horrific as he had suffered four broken ribs. His left arm had been broken in three places and they had to insert a metal rod into the forearm. His left clavicle had also been fractured and the broken arm was secured tightly up against his chest stabilizing both the arm and the shoulder. The long gash on his forehead had been stitched and medical tape ran across his broken and swollen nose. His cheek and both of his eyes had now blackened and his one eye was swollen shut. Along with bags of saline and antibiotics, he was also receiving IV's infusions of pain medication and a blood transfusion. As the Doctor was finishing up, Steve asked "How long will he be out Doc?"  
"He should wake in about three hours. He's doing well Commander. My Nurse, Amanda will remain in the room and monitor both patients but you're all welcome to stay"  
"Thank you"

Chin leaned close to Kono, whispering "Kono, are you awake?"  
Her eyes opened, "Adam?"  
Chin smiled at here, "Yes, he's here"  
As Kono turned her head, he stepped aside so she could she her lover. Her voice was filled with emotion as she said quietly, "Oh Adam…"  
Steve was back at her side and taking hold of her hand he said, "He's sleeping sweetheart. The Doctor says he's doing well"  
The two men held and stroked her hands until she fell back asleep. As Chin sat next to the bed, Steve moved over to a table in the corner of the room where Danny and Doris were sipping coffee.

They all remained in the room visiting while they waited for Adam to regain consciousness.  
Amanda was at his side when his eyes opened. She turned towards the table, "Commander, he's waking"  
Steve moved to the bedside and placed a hand on Adam's uninjured shoulder, "Adam…"  
The injured man looked at him, "Steve…ddid you ffind her?"  
"Yes, she's fine. Adam look, she's right here buddy"  
Steve helped the man turn his head towards her. He was in obvious pain as he asked, "Whhat happened tto her?"  
"Relax Adam… she's going to be fine. She was shot in the leg when she and Doris escaped from Wo Fat. They got the bullet out and there's no major damage. You're going to be fine too…you just need to rest"

No one else was near as Adam looked at him with fear in his eyes, "Steve, is the baby okay?"  
The words sucked the breath from the SEAL's lungs as he responded softly, "SShhhhhh relax buddy…everything's okay"  
"Okay…gggood ….tthank you"  
"Sleep now Adam, everything's going to be okay now"  
In moments the man was back under and as Amanda tended to him, Steve excused himself and left the room.

**50505050505050505050505050505050**

Steve went straight to Ambassador Wendt's office asking to see Doctor Warren.

Moments later Warren entered and Steve asked immediately, "Why didn't you tell me she was pregnant?"  
"Because Commander she asked me not to. The baby was not in any danger and I needed to respect her privacy"  
Steve sighed and nodded, "Okay….so the baby's fine?"  
"Yes, no complications at all"  
Steve smiled, "Good…..thank you so much Doctor"  
"You looked exhausted Commander. I think you should all let my Nurse do her job and you should get some shut-eye. You're not going to be any good to either of them if you all get sick"

"Yeah, you're right Doc….we'll get some rest. Thank You"  
Steve left the room and headed back to the infirmary. Following the Doctor's orders he convinced the others all to go to their rooms to sleep for a bit with the promise that Amanda would let them know once Kono woke.

Steve lay on the bed with his hands clasped behind his head staring up at the ceiling, _'Kono is pregnant….pregnant…wow! How long had she known? Did she know before they came to China? No…..Adam wouldn't have subjected her to a life on the run if she had been pregnant, would he?' _A smile crossed his face as he thought about Kono being a Mother. She was going to be a fantastic Mother. Running a hand over his injured and bandaged ribs, he closed his eyes and sleep quickly overtook him.

He woke to a knock on the door and glancing at his watch he saw he had been sleeping for almost four hours.  
The man at the door let him know that Kono was awake.  
Steve asked, "Have you let any other members of my team know yet?"  
"No Sir"  
"Please don't. I need to talk to her alone for a few minutes, then I'll get them"  
"Yes Sir"

Running a hand through his hair, Steve made his way back to Kono.  
Her eyes were closed and he leaned over the bed and kissed her cheek.  
She opened her eyes and smiled, "Hi boss"  
"Hi" He took hold of her hand and squeezed.  
"Steve…..how's Adam?"  
"He's hurting but he's going to be fine. He was able to talk to me. He's worried about you Kono….and the baby"  
She hesitated slightly, "Steve…..I wasn't keeping it from you. We just found out earlier this week"  
"How far along are you?"  
"I'm not sure. I haven't been to a Doctor yet, I just took a home test. Do the others know?"  
"No. It's not my place to tell them"  
"And I will Steve, when the time is right"  
"I won't say anything, and sweetheart…..congratulations, you're going to be an amazing Mother"  
"Thank you"  
"You're welcome. We're all so happy you're all okay Kono. We were all scared"  
"Thank God Doris was able to get you that text"  
He smiled, "Yes, Doris is quite…..uhmmm creative"  
Kono chuckled, "She certainly is boss. She saved my life"  
"I know…and I thank God she was there for you"

**50505050505050505050505050505050**

Steve left her for a few minutes to go wake Chin and Danny, deciding to let Doris continue to sleep.  
The three men sat at her bedside visiting for the next couple of hours while Adam slept peacefully. Shortly after she fell back asleep an aide to the Ambassador came to take them to dinner.

They stopped by Doris' room to pick her up.  
Steve knocked on the door…..no answer.  
He knocked harder….no answer.  
Knocking again he called out "MOM! HEY WAKE UP!"…still nothing.  
Turning the knob and finding the door was unlocked, Steve called out to her as he entered the room.

After several seconds of silence, Danny entered the room "Steve? Is everything okay?"  
Steve was standing at the side of the bed. It was obvious to Danny as he glanced around the room that Doris was not there and the bed had not been slept in.  
The duffel bag from the cave was on the bed and Steve was holding and reading a letter…..

********* SO ? I'm getting lots of hits and reads but not many comments on the last few chapters. I'd love to hear what you think. Are you still enjoying ? *********


	10. Chapter 10

******* THANK YOU for all the wonderful comments! I write for fun and if you're unsure if people are enjoying your efforts it can take the fun out of it. So Thank You for letting me know and giving me the motivation to keep writing! *******

Danny stood silently watching as Steve read the letter.  
The SEAL's jaw was clenched tightly and his hand was shaking slightly. Several moments passed before Steve crumpled up the letter, throwing in across the room. Continuing to stare straight ahead his voice shook with raw emotion as he stated, "She's gone Danny….she left…...again"

Danny didn't know what to say. His heart sank in his chest as he knew the pain that this was causing his partner.  
"Steve…babe I'm sorry"  
Steve held up his hand as he struggled to maintain his composure. A couple of minutes passed before he turned to face Danny, "It is what it is partner" He forced a grin, adding "Let's go eat okay, I'm starving"

As Steve walked past he placed his hand on Danny's shoulder and squeezed it tightly.  
Danny simply shook his head and followed him.  
Once in the hall, Chin inquired "Is everything alright? Where's Doris?"  
Steve replied, "She's gone Chin. Everything's fine though….let's go eat"  
The Aide began to walk off and Steve followed. Chin turned to Danny, who shrugged his shoulders and said quietly, "She left him a letter and took off.…let's go brah"

Not much was said as they ate. The Embassy provided them with a wonderful meal of sliced roast beef, potatoes with gravy, roasted asparagus, fresh baked bread with a mouth-watering honey butter and chocolate cake. They were all very hungry and once done, Chin was ready to head back to the infirmary while Steve asked to see the Ambassador.  
As they left the table Danny said, "I'm going with you Steve"  
Steve looked at him saying coldly, "Fine….whatever"

Moments later the men took seats across from the Ambassador and Steve spoke matter-of-factly, "Ambassador it appears that my Mother has left the Embassy, were you aware of that?"  
"I was told. You didn't know?"  
Steve sighed, "No Sir….my Mother has a history of disappearing. Can you give me any details? When she left? Where was she went?"

"Hold on, I'll find out" He picked up the phone and called central check in.  
Hanging up a few minutes later he filled the men in. "She called a cab to pick her up about six hours ago. We run a log and she had directed the cab to take her to the airport. I'm sorry Commander"  
Steve stood and shook the man's hand, "Don't be sorry Sir, you've done nothing wrong…thank you for the information"

As they left the office to head back to the infirmary, Steve was walking at an extremely fast pace.  
Danny was practically running in an attempt to keep up with him, "Hey Steve, stop man"  
Getting no response he stated more firmly, "STEVE STOP!"

The SEAL stopped and turned to his partner, "WHAT! What do you want me to say? You were right Danny, okay….you were right"  
Danny scrunched his brow in puzzlement, "What? What are you talking about?"  
Steve ran his hand through his hair, "I'm sorry….I just can't believe she did this. I need to take care of Kono and Adam…..I can't worry about her…I can't"

Steve was clearly distressed and Danny reached out and took hold of his forearm, "Hey, Kono and Adam are fine and Chin's with them. Let's go somewhere and talk about this okay?"

"Danny….I love you buddy but I can't deal with this right now. I need some time alone partner….I need to think"  
"You're not going to do something crazy, like go after her are you?"  
"No Danno….I promise, I'm not going anywhere. She's a big girl…..and she's made her choice"

The pain in his voice cut through Danny's heart, "Are you going to your room?"  
"No, I'm going to head outside and get some fresh air"  
"Alright. Do you mind if I read the letter?"  
Steve dug his room key from his pocket, handing it to Danny "Be my guest….I don't ever want to see it again….or her for that matter"  
With that, Steve walked away leaving Danny standing and watching him. As he started to walk towards the rooms Danny said under his breath "Damn you Doris"

**50505050505050505050505050505050**

Steve walked out of the Embassy's main building into its expansive courtyard. The instant the cool nighttime air hit his lungs he began to sob. He began to jog as tears streaked down his cheeks. His mind was racing, _'How could she do this to me again? How could she come back into my life only to run away? Why couldn't she trust me to protect her? She's been lying to me since the day she returned. She put a wedge between me and Catherine that thankfully I was able to forgive Cath for, but still it's left me with a nagging doubt about whether or not I can truly trust the woman I love' _His lungs burned as his injured ribs throbbed painfully in his chest. He ran a few more feet before dropping to the ground in front of a large tree. Leaning back against the tree trunk and pulling his knees to his chest, Steve buried his head in his arms and he sobbed.

Danny entered the room and went over to the far side of the room picking the balled up letter from the floor. Sitting on the edge of the bed he un-crinkled it and began reading.

_'My Dearest Steve_

_I returned to Oahu praying that I would be able to put my past life (and mistakes) behind me._

_All I have done though, is put you, and now your friends in greater danger._  
_I was selfish 38 years ago in falling in love with your Father and marrying him._  
_And I was selfish 36 years ago in agreeing with your Father to have children knowing the dangers you could someday be subjected to._

_I have no excuses for these choices other than that I deeply loved John and I would have done anything to make him happy. The moment the Doctor placed you into my arms Steven was the greatest moment in my life. I thought of nothing but loving you, nurturing you and protecting you. I did that for sixteen glorious years and I was never in my life so loved and at peace. The day that I found out my cover had been blown was the worst and most terrifying day of my life. Joe kept me alive during my years on the run, not only by always keeping me a step ahead of Wo Fat, but he kept me alive by keeping me posted on your lives. We gave me photos and told me stories of your lives and your milestones. He did not want me to come forward Steve, he told me it would put you in more danger…..but once again I acted selfishly._

_Now Kono and Adam lie injured because of me. Because of my selfish acts.  
When I watched you tend to Kono in the cave and when you carried her so tenderly in your arms despite the pain you were in…..I knew.  
I have watched you with your team over the last few months and I can truly say that I am blown away by the love you all share. I am your birth Mother Steve, but Catherine, Danny, Gracie, Chin and Kono and of course Mary...…..they are your family._

_I'm sorry about the pain I caused you twenty years ago. And I'm sorry about the pain and heartache I have re-opened. I felt I could no longer survive without holding you and Mary in my arms again but now I see how wrong I was to come back. _

_I was dead in your eyes and I should have remained that way.  
I would do anything to keep you safe and in order to do that I need to leave. You must not follow me…...please sweetheart, let me go.  
I can never expect for you to forgive me but please Steve, never forget how much I love you.'_

Tears were dampening Danny's cheeks as he carefully folded the letter and put it into his wallet.  
Wiping his eyes he stood and leaving the room he made his way back to Kono's room.

******* More to follow, and as always….I'd LOVE to hear what you think! *******


	11. Chapter 11

Steve sat for a long time with his head resting against the tree and his eyes closed.  
He was tired, so tired….

He sensed Danny's presence and without opening his eyes he said, "Danno please…I need to be alone"  
"You've been out here for over an hour. Are you okay?"  
Steve smirked and opened his eyes, "No buddy….I'm not okay. But I don't want to talk about it….not now. How's Kono?"  
"She's good, they both are. We got her out of her bed and she was able to see Adam for a few minutes"  
"Was he awake?"  
"No….but it was good for her. She's sleeping now too. Why don't you come inside?" Reaching out his hand, Steve grasped it and Danny helped him to his feet. The two men walked side by side in silence until they reached Steve's room.

Steve looked at Danny, "Did you read the letter?"  
"Yeah, I did"  
"She's really something isn't she?"  
"Steve, I'm so sorry"  
"You know what Danno…..I'm not…I agree with her. I wish she'd never come back. She's dead in my eyes"  
His words were cold, but his voice and eyes were wrought with emotion.

Danny spoke softly, "You don't mean that buddy"  
"Oh you're wrong partner, I DO mean that...…God Danno...I'm so fucking tired. I'm so tired of it all"  
"Do you want me to come in?"  
Steve hesitated slightly, "No, I need some time to think"  
"Get some sleep, okay. Chin and I will take care of Kono"  
"Yeah…..thanks man"  
Danny then added, "Can I offer a suggestion?"  
"Can I stop you?"  
"No, no you can't, so just listen please...…call Catherine"  
"There's nothing she can do about this. She's half-way around the world"  
"I know…but I think you should call her. I guarantee you, she'd want to know what's happening"  
"She needs to focus on her work, I don't need her to be worrying about me"  
"Well I can worry about you enough for all of us"  
Steve grinned, "You don't need to worry about me Danno…..I'll be fine"  
"Well, I think it will do you a lot of good to talk to her….at least think about it, okay?"  
"I'll think about it...…..and hey…...thanks partner"  
"No problem …..call me if you want to talk"  
"I will, good night"  
"Good Night" Danny lingered at the closed door for several seconds before turning and heading back to the infirmary.

Both patients were sleeping and he and Chin moved to the table with cups of strong, black coffee.  
Chin inquired, "So how's he doing?"  
"He's angry…and although he's not ready to admit it, he's hurt. He's not saying much yet Chin but this is tearing him apart"  
"She's abandoned him again"  
"Yeah, that's certainly how he sees it"  
"Well it's only how he sees it, it's how it is Danny. Do you think she'll ever come back?"  
"I don't know but I sure as hell hope she doesn't. It's going to take him a long time to get over this Chin. He's mad now but that anger is going to turn to pain soon"  
"We'll be there for him brother"  
"Yes we will be…I just hope it's enough"

**505050505050505050505050505050**

Steve took another shower, letting the hot water beat down onto his neck. He had a horrible headache and just wanted to forget about Doris and sleep. He knew that sleep wouldn't come easily though. He had so many questions that now he would never get the answers to. The biggest one being what is Doris' connection with Wo Fat? Her last words to him in Hawaii again echoed in his mind, _'to be continued…' _Well not anymore. He would never have that answer now. As much as he loved his Mother, he hated her too and he felt utterly disgusted with himself about that. She was his Mother for God's sake and she deserved his unconditional love…...his mind drifted back to the time he was ten years old…..

Mary had taken his baseball glove and was using it to scoop flower buds and seeds that had fallen from an Indian Corel Tree from her wading pool. Doris had gone into the house to fix them lunch and he was supposed to be watching his little sister. His best friend Jeff Friedman had stopped by and was showing him the new issue of Sports Illustrated. He had taken his eyes off Mary and by the time he realized what she was doing, his prized baseball glove was destroyed. He had spent weeks softening and forming the leather just the way he liked it. He was planning on using it for the first time later that day at Brian Johnson's birthday party. He had become so irate that he had raced over to four year old Mary screaming and shoving her. She fell backwards striking her head on the bottom of the pool and as she was falling backwards, Doris had come from the kitchen.

She had raced to the pool as her tiny blonde-headed little girl popped up from under the water choking and spitting up water.  
As his Mom had grabbed Mary from the pool, he had panicked and turned to run.  
"STEVEN JOHN, STOP THIS MINUTE!" He had never heard his Mother talk with such force and anger before.  
He turned around as Jeff said, "See you later buddy" and ran from the yard.  
His Mom was cradling Mary in her arms, bouncing her in her arms to comfort her, "Ssshhhhh you're okay baby, ssshhhh"  
As Mary's coughing subsided she began to sob, saying through her tears "Stevie pushed me"  
As any ten year old would do, he cried out "SHE RUINED MY GLOVE MOM!" Instantly, he knew that he should have kept his mouth shut as Doris glared at him saying, "Up to your room young man….now!"

Picking his baseball glove up from the ground he had walked into the house not showing any anger until he was out of his Mother's earshot, then slamming his bedroom door closed behind him.  
He had spent the next three hours in his room, curled up on his bed, holding his destroyed glove in his hands and fuming with anger towards MaryAnn but also towards his Mom for not understanding.

**505050505050505050505050505050**

His Dad eventually came into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.  
"Sit up Steve"  
"Dad…."  
"Steve, I want you to listen to me first. Then if you have any questions or comments, I will listen to you"  
"Okay" He had sat on the bed next to his Father, prepared to be yelled at and grounded for life.  
"Let me see you glove son" His Dad had taken the glove and confirmed what he already knew, it was ruined.  
"Steve I'm going to tell you something and I expect to never have to say it again. Mary is your sister and as her big brother, you are her protector. You are old enough now to understand this and I have always told you to never strike a girl"

"But Dad, I didn't HIT her"  
"You pushed her and you hurt her Steve, that is not acceptable. I understand that you were angry about her you damaging your glove"  
"Damaging it! She destroyed it!"  
"Do you think she meant to destroy it? Buddy, she's four years old. She didn't know any better. And weren't you supposed to be watching her? How did she get your glove? Where were you?"

"Jeff brought over his Sports Illustrated and we were looking at it"  
"So you weren't doing your job and she did something she shouldn't do. So whose fault do you think this is?"  
"But Dad…she put it in the WATER!"  
"She's four years old Steven…..whose fault do you think this is?"  
Steve hesitated briefly before saying dejectedly, "Mine"  
"That's right son. You were wrong to not be watching Mary and you were wrong to have pushed her. She ruined your glove but we are all very lucky that she didn't get hurt when you pushed her. Everyone makes mistakes in life but in order be a good man, you need to take responsibility for you wrong actions Steve, do you understand?"

He had smiled up at his Father and said, "I understand Dad, I'm sorry"  
"You need to tell your sister you're sorry as well"  
" I will…and Dad, I'll always protect Mary from now on, I promise"  
His Father had embraced him and then added, "You also need to be punished Steve. Your Mother and I have discussed it and you cannot attend Brian's birthday party or sleep over tonight"  
He was very disappointed as he responded, "I understand Dad"

"Tomorrow when I get home from work, we'll run down to the Sporting Goods Store and buy you another glove. I'll pay for it, put you'll need to do yard work and pay me back"  
"Okay Dad….Thank You, I love you"  
"I love you too Steven. Are you ready to go apologize to your sister and your Mother?"  
"Yes"

Moments later he stood in the living room before his Mom and Mary. He looked into his little sister's eyes and he felt shame as he saw the hurt in her usually trusting eyes.  
And then Mary even made things worse as she spoke first, "'M sorry I got your mitt wet Stevie and broke it"  
Steve dropped to his knees and opened his arms. Without speaking, Mary moved to her beloved brother and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. Steve spoke softly, "It's not your fault Mar. I'm so sorry I hurt you. I promise I'll never hurt you again"

Still hugging his sister, he looked up "I'm sorry Mom"  
Doris nodded and blew him a kiss as Mary asked, "Will you play with me Steve?"  
"I'll do anything you want Mary"  
John and Doris held hands and grinned at their sons reaction as Mary said excitedly, "TEA PARTY!"  
Taking her brother's hand she had pulled him towards the stairs. Steve was a very good sport but he was VERY relieved when his Dad peeked into the room an hour later to tell them that dinner was ready.

Steve's self-redemption didn't stop there as he agreed to 'Mary's Movie Night'. Not only did he let her cuddle in his lap but he watched without complaint, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty AND Cinderella!

At a little before ten o'clock as the Duke was slipping the glass slipper onto Cinderella's foot, John received the call to report to work. He kissed Doris and the kids and leaving the house none of them had any idea how their lives were about to change...

********* More to follow…..hope you're liking, I'd love to hear from you! *********


	12. Chapter 12

****** Thanks as always for reading & reviewing ******

****** WARNING - this chapter begins with a VIOLENT CRIME - please be forewarned ******

Steve remained in the shower. His body was shaking with emotion as he remembered waking up as a ten year boy and having his entire view of the world change that on day…Saturday, September 2, 1986…..

His Dad had come into his room at about eight thirty and woke him up. As soon as he saw his Dad he knew something was horribly wrong. His eyes were puffy from crying and he could never remember EVER seeing his Dad cry. He was still in his police uniform and he looked scared and tired.

"Steve….something horrible has happened son"  
He hesitated and Steve could still remember the unnerving feeling that pause had prompted, "Dad? What is it?"  
"Two men who were on drugs broke into Brian Johnson's home last night to rob the house. Buddy….they shot everyone who was inside"  
Steve had paused not quite understanding what his Father was telling him as he inquired, "Is everyone okay?"

"No Steve….these men killed everyone in the house"  
He had sat up in bed, stunned as his brain tried to wrap around the words that he had just heard.  
They sat quietly for a few minutes before Steve asked, "Did you catch the bad guys?"  
"Not yet…..but we will, there were witnesses. Steve I know you loved your friends, I'm so very sorry"  
He couldn't respond to his Father as he was in total shock. He obviously knew what death was, but he had never lost anyone close to him. As his Father pulled him to his chest and he heard the steady thumping of the man's heart he broke down and he cried. He cried for Jeff and Brian. He cried for his other two friends who had been at the party, Jamarcus and Robbie. He cried for Brian's parents and his younger sister, Libby. Seven innocent people killed in a act of unimaginable violence.

John McGarrett held him tightly as he too cried for the victims and for his son, whose childhood innocence had been lost forever. Steve now knew that there really were boogey-men out there. There were men who would take another's life for no good reason and he mourned for his son. He struggled to stay strong and to not shake as he thought about what could have been…Steve was supposed to have been there as well and if he had been…oh God what could have been. He felt so unbelievable blessed and grateful as he held his boy tightly.

Thinking back to that traumatic time in his life Steve remembered every painful moment so vividly. He hadn't thought about those lost friends for a while and he felt guilty about that. He had been fortunate enough to not have been there that night and he had experienced a lot of torment over surviving while his friends did not. His parents had done everything right in dealing with his emotions and he had never felt anything but overwhelming love and concern from them, or the parents of his lost friends. They had gone to family therapy for two years until he had finally been able to accept that there was a reason he was alive.

He could still see with vivid clarity his Mother holding him and comforting him while telling him that _'everything in life happens for a reason'_…... with that memory he was overcome his pain and rage and he slammed his fist, once, twice…..a half dozen times against the tiled shower stall. He dropped to his knees and sobbed as tears streamed down his cheeks and he watched the red tinged water swirl down the drain from the broken and bloodied knuckles of his right hand. After several minutes he raised his aching body from the tub and wrapping his hand in a towel he dried himself off and not bothering to throw on any clothes he crawled into bed. Covering up he cradled his throbbing hand to his chest and closed his eyes.

**5050505050505050505050505050505050**

Chin and Danny took turns throughout the night sitting in the infirmary while the other would caught a couple hours of shut-eye in their room.  
Danny entered the room at a little after six in the morning to find Kono sitting in a chair at Adam's side while he slept.  
He smiled broadly, "Look at you! You're looking much better this morning"  
"I'm feeling much better, thanks Danny. Maybe with you here, I can get some answers"  
Danny looked at her and then glanced at Chin, "Answers about what?"  
Chin raised his eyebrows and Kono asked, "What's wrong Danny? Where are Steve and Doris?"  
"Kono….."  
"GUYS, STOP PLEASE! I need to know….what's going on?"  
Danny grabbed her hand, "Okay Kono…..…relax. We'll tell you everything, just calm down"  
Danny sighed and then said softly, "Steve's getting some sleep. Kono, Doris took off. She left him a letter and disappeared"  
"Oh God no…not again"  
"Yeah"  
"Is he okay?"  
"Honestly? No…he's not" Tears were flowing down her cheeks as Danny wiped them away with his thumb, "Don't cry honey, we'll get him through this"

She said "I should have known…..I should have said something"  
Chin and Danny glanced at each other before Danny said softly, "What are you talking about Kono?"  
"Back at the safe-house Wo Fat said some horrible things to her…he had said, 'what kind of Mother abandons her children and places her son in such danger?' He also told her that Tan was dead because she had put him in danger. That she had killed him, just as she had killed John and endangered Steve"

Danny asked, "Did Doris say anything to you?"  
Kono shook her head, "No…..but I saw the pain in her eyes Danny…."  
She paused and Danny asked, "What else happened Kono?"  
She spoke softly, "When we were in the van leaving the safe-house we heard gunshots and thought that they had killed Adam. I….I was quite upset and Wo Fat threatened to kill me. He said that Steve would find us dead and that he would know that he hadn't been able to protect us. He said he knew that Steve would never stop searching for him until he was dead, but that he would make sure that he suffered first…..he said he would kill us, then he would kill Chin, Joe and Catherine. Then he said when Steve thought he can handle no more, he would kill Danny and Gracie. He referred to Doris as 'Shelburne' and told her that every bit of pain Steve had, and would endure was because of her…..I should have known she would leave Danny…I should have told him"

"Did you get the impression she would hurt herself?"  
"I think she would do anything to keep Steve safe"  
"Kono, there's no way you could have known she would do this to him….not again"  
"Oh God Danny….I feel so bad for him"  
"I know, we all do"  
"Guys, there's something else I need to tell you?"  
Danny was still holding her hand and Chin moved in closer as she smiled softly, "I'm pregnant?"  
Danny smiled and squeezed her hand as Chin hugged and kissed her saying, "Cous' that's fantastic! I'm so happy for both of you"  
She looked at Danny, "So what do you think Uncle Danno?"  
"Uncle Danno…I like the sound of that. This is great news Kono. Does Steve know?"  
"Yes, Adam had told him when he came to yesterday. We just found out a couple of days ago"  
Chin was all smiles as he said, "We all needed some good news…..Kono, you're going to be such a great Mom"

Their attention was drawn to the soft voice coming from the bed, "She's going to be the best Mommy ever"  
Kono said happily, "Adam!" Chin helped her to her feet and she leaned over and kissed him tenderly on the lips, "Hi honey"  
"Hi….how's your leg?"  
"It's fine. How are you feeling?"  
He lifted his hand and placed it on her cheek, "I feel so much better now knowing you're okay. Is Doris alright?"  
She hesitated slightly, "Yes…she saved my life Adam"  
"I'll have to make sure to thank her"  
"You can't. She took off"  
"What do you mean she took off"  
Danny then spoke, "She left Steve a letter and disappeared. She went back into hiding"  
"That's going to be hard on him"  
Danny nodded, "Yeah it is….but he'll be okay. She's alive, you're all alive…that's what matters" He glanced at the clock on the wall, "In fact, I think I should go check on him. I'll be back shortly" He clutched Adam's hand and then kissed Kono's cheek before leaving the room.

****** Are you still enjoying? I hope you all enjoy your 4****th**** of July Holiday! MORE TO FOLLOW ******


	13. Chapter 13

Steve had been awake for a while, staring up at the ceiling when the knock came on the door.  
He grinned softly knowing it was Danno here to check up on him.  
He winced as pain shot across his ribcage as he slid out of bed calling out, "Give me a minute Danny"  
Picking up his boxers off the bathroom floor, he slipped into them and then opened the door.

He mumbled "Good Morning" as he turned and walked back to the bed.  
Danny had grabbed a couple cups of coffee and setting them on top of the dresser he asked, "What the hell happened to your hand?"  
"Nothing"  
"It doesn't look like nothing. What, or Who did you hit?"  
"The shower stall"

The blood-soaked towel was still wrapped around his hand and as Steve tried to unwrap it, he cried out "Shit" as the towel stuck to the wound.  
Danny grabbed his partner's forearm and pulled him towards the bathroom, "Come on, let's look at it"  
Standing over the bathroom sink Steve turned on the faucet, wetting the towel and loosening it. Danny then took hold of the hand.  
"You did a great job here babe, you busted it up pretty damn good"  
There were numerous gashes on the knuckles and the hand was severely swollen.  
Danny was certain he had broken several bones, "Come on you Neanderthal, get dressed and let's get that x-rayed"  
Steve knew better than to argue at this point and without saying anything else he left the bathroom and went to get dressed. The shower curtain was pulled back and Danny noted the streaks of dried blood running down the tile. Shaking his head he muttered softly, "Shit McGarrett" as he exited the bathroom.

Steve was attempting unsuccessfully to zip and button his jeans, "Damn it"  
Danny smirked, "Let me help you"  
Steve replied smugly, "I can dress myself Daniel! I've been doing it for years you know"  
"Well you haven't been doing it with one hand, have you? Don't be stupid, let me help you or we'll be here all day"  
Steve threw up his arms, "Whatever partner….knock yourself out"  
Once done, Danny said "There. Now you can safely be seen in public….let's go"

Within the hour the two men were back at Kono's bedside.  
"Boss, what happened?"  
The cast ran from the middle of his forearm, covering his fingers with only his fingertips and thumb showing. He had broken two knuckles and two fingers and severely jammed his two other fingers. He grinned at Kono, "Let's say it wasn't one of my brighter moments and the wall won"  
Kono took his left hand into hers and stroking it, she said "Steve…..I'm so sorry about your Mom"  
He responded softly, "Thank You Kono" then quickly changing the subject he said, "I'm so relieved that you're both going to be okay"

The team spent a quiet day visiting as Adam slept most of the day.  
In the late afternoon Steve excused himself to go back to his room to call Governor Denning with an update.  
After explaining everything to him and letting him know that they were expecting to be back in Hawaii in a few days, Steve decided to take Danny's advice and he dialed Catherine.

**5050505050505050505050505050505050**

Cath was sitting at her station on the Aircraft Carrier when her cellphone lit up and Steve's bright face appeared.  
She answered seductively, "Hello Sailor"  
Instantly she heard the distress in his voice as he replied, "Hi baby"  
"Steve? What's wrong?"  
He drew in a deep breath before stating, "She's gone Cath…..she left me again"  
"Oh honey…..I'm so sorry"  
He told her what had happened and that they were in China. He told her about Kono and Adam's injuries and he told her about his and Danny's broken hands while assuring her that they would all be fine.

"Steve, I'm so glad you're all going to be okay. So what happened with Doris?"  
He sighed briefly and then he told her about the letter.  
"Oh honey I wish I could be there for you and hold you in my arms. I love you"  
His voice was shaking as he replied, "I love you too…..I miss you"  
"I'll be home in seven weeks Steve and then I'll be stateside for at least six months"  
"Seven weeks is so long Cath"  
"Do you need me to take an emergency leave?"  
"No…no…..I'll be fine. I've got Danno you know"  
"I need you to promise me that you'll talk to him…...let him take care of you"  
Lightening up the topic he said, "He had to help me with my pants this morning"  
Catherine chuckled, "Too much information Steven!"  
Steve changed the topic from his Mother to their planned vacation in three months. "I can't wait until our Cruise"  
"I still can't believe I let you talk me into getting back onto a boat!"  
"I've been on shore for almost four years now and I kind of miss it"  
"I know you do. I love you so much Steve and I can't wait until we're cuddling on the deck and looking at the stars"  
"That sounds like heaven baby"  
"Well you keep thinking about it and get that hand healed up okay"  
"I will…Cath thank you"  
"Honey you call me if you need to talk…..any time day or night Steve…I'm here for you and I always will be"

After hanging up Steve went back to the infirmary arriving just as the Doctor had left.  
He was given the good news that both Kono and Adam should be well enough to be released and ready for travel in three to four days.

**5050505050505050505050505050505050**

Over the next three days, Doris wasn't mentioned at all. Steve had told Danny that he had called Catherine and that brought a great deal of relief to the Jersey detective. Catherine was like a sister to Danny and he didn't even think Steve knew how good she was for him. But knowing his partner as he did, and knowing the trust issues Steve had, he was very concerned about their relationship. Catherine was perfect for his crazy ass partner and he hoped and prayed not only that Steve wouldn't pull away from her, but that she would be strong enough to hang in there for him. From what Steve told him, their conversation went well and it seemed to be good for him. He was watching his partner carefully though…..he knew that he was holding everything in but eventually he would need to talk….and he would be there for Steve just as he always was, just as Steve was always there him.

When they were ready to fly back to the U.S. they were escorted to a private air strip and put on a government plane. They had set up two beds for Adam and Kono for the long flight and once they had cleared Chinese airspace they all finally felt secure.

The flight was uneventful and Governor Denning was there to greet the plane as it landed in Honolulu.  
Hideki Noshimuri and Billy Granger had been extradited back to Hawaii the day before and they were both being held in solitary confinement at Halawa Prison. Denning let them know that he had set up for them to interrogate the men the next morning. He had also set up a safe house for Adam to stay.  
Adam shook his head as he spoke, "Governor, I appreciate the offer…but I've decided I'm not going to run anymore"  
Kono said softly, "Adam, we need to keep you safe"  
Adam responded, "Kono we weren't even safe in China"  
Steve looked at the two, "Adam she's right. They found you in China because of my Mother's connections and I'm sorry about that..."

Adam interrupted him, "McGarrett stop. You have nothing to be sorry for. Your Mother…and all of you, you've done everything you could to keep me safe. Now because of those efforts, Doris has been forced back into hiding and Kono and our baby were almost killed"  
Danny watched his partner's reaction carefully and he saw, albeit for only a brief moment, the pain in Steve's eyes as he spoke to Adam.  
"Adam I understand you not wanting to hide but I think you need to, at least for a short time. Stay in hiding with Kono while you both heal and give us time to interrogate your cousin. If Hideki was the one working with Michael to take over the organization it may be safe for you to come forward now that they're both out of the picture"

Adam responded, "Steve, we both know that until Wo Fat is out of the picture I'll never to able to totally legitimize the business"  
"You're probably right, but I may be able to take care of it…..I just need a little time"  
Adam looked to Kono who said quietly, "Let them help us Adam"  
After a brief pause Adam looked back at Steve, "Okay…and Steve…thank you"  
Steve replied, "You're welcome. Now go with the agents and we'll be in touch with you soon. Take care of each other"  
He leaned down and kissed Kono's cheek as she whispered "Thank you boss, be careful"

Then as Chin walked them to the waiting undercover vehicle Danny turned to Steve and said "So you've got a plan?"  
Steve looked at him incredulously, "Of course I've got a plan"  
Throwing his hands in the air the Jersey detective grinned, "Of course you do!"  
Steve turned to Denning, "Governor, thank you. I'll be in touch with you after the interrogations tomorrow"  
"I'll be waiting for your call Commander"

The Governor turned and left and after Chin rejoined the men, Steve stated "Are you gentlemen up for a drink?"  
Chin asked, "On you?"  
"Of course on me!"  
As they walked away, Danny asked "Can I see your wallet?"  
"You know I've got my wallet on me Danny!"  
"Yes, but is there any CASH in that wallet?"  
As they bickered all the way to the Camaro, Chin smiled and shook his head thinking _'Man it's good to be home'_

******** More to follow - I'd love to hear your thoughts. Are you still enjoying? Please let me know! *********


	14. Chapter 14

As the men sat sharing chicken wings and quesadilla appetizers along with longboards Danny asked, "Okay partner, how about filling us in?"  
"I'm going to offer Hideki Noshimuri a plea deal"  
"What kind of plea deal?"  
"Full immunity from prosecution and placement in witness protection"  
Danny shook his head and brought his beer to his lips as Chin asked, "The Governor signed off on this?"  
"I told him I could get Noshimuri to talk"  
Danny then repeated Chin's question, "So the Governor SIGNED OFF on this Steve?"  
"Well he doesn't know all the details yet"  
Danny began to rant, "What are you thinking! You can't offer full immunity without the Governor pre-approving that! Are you TRYING to get your ass fired?"

"Danny, I talked to Denning and he told me to do whatever I had to do….WHATEVER I had to do!"  
Chin than chimed in, "Fine Steve, so what does Adam think about this?"  
"I haven't asked him"  
Danny mumbled as he reached for another wing "Of course you haven't"

Steve took a long drink and then continued, "Look guys, I don't like this either but do you have any better ideas? We all know that Wo Fat will not stop trying gain control of the Noshimuri Enterprises. Even if Hideki gives us the names of everyone involved in the organization involved in attempting to overthrow Adam, Wo Fat will not quit. But if we rid the organization of those involved at least Adam has a chance to turn the company into a legitimate business. Hideki could have killed Adam, but he didn't. He disobeyed Wo Fat's direct order because he couldn't kill his family. It's not going to be easy for him but he's not the only one with something to lose anymore" Setting his beer down he ran his hand through his hair as he continued, his voice tinged with emotion "I'm going to do everything in my power to keep Kono and her baby safe…we are NOT going to lose them"

The men sat quietly for several seconds before Chin said, "Thank you Steve"  
"For what Chin? She's family and I love her. I'd do the same for either one of you"  
Danny asked, "So are you planning on doing this tomorrow?"  
"Yes. Danny, I'd like you to interrogate Granger while Chin and I talk to Hideki. You have to keep your cool partner, this has to be by the book"  
"I'll keep my cool, but you better do the same"  
"That's why I want Chin with me, to keep me in line"  
The men all grinned as Danny said, "Good plan babe"

They left the bar a short time later and Danny dropped them off at their homes. They all needed a shower and a good night's rest. Tomorrow was going to be a very important day.

**5050505050505050505050505050505050**

The men were led into the interrogation rooms at Halawa Prison at nine o'clock the next morning.

Chin Ho Kelly stood off to the side as Hideki Noshimuri was led into the room with his hands and feet in shackles.  
Steve stared at him coldly for several seconds before beginning, "Hideki, my name is Steve McGarrett"  
"I know who you are"  
"Then you know that I have the ear of the Governor and the ability to offer you a plea deal"  
Hideki stirred in his seat as he responded without emotion, "Not interested"

"Oh really? You're not interested?" Steve sat forward with his elbows on the table, "So you're telling me that you're willing to spend the rest of your life in solitary confinement?" Hideki turned his gaze away from the SEAL as Steve continued, "If you're ever let into the general population you'll be killed, you do know that don't you?" Taking a picture from the manila folder next to him, Steve placed it in front of the prisoner. "This is Victor Hess"

Hideki looked at the picture in front of him. Hess was lying on the cement floor of his jail cell in a large pool of blood. He was in his orange jumpsuit and the photo showed very graphically the knife wound that had split his throat from ear to ear.

Steve spoke in a calm, firm voice, "He was sent by Wo Fat to kill me. He failed and this is what happened to him here. You betrayed Wo Fat by letting Adam live. I suggest you re-think your options because once I walk out of here, any deal is off the table and you're on your own"

Hideki sat quiet and motionless for several minutes before Steve stood from his chair and announced, "Time's up, let's go Chin"  
As they neared the door, Hideki called out "WAIT"  
Steve turned, "You ready to talk?"  
"Tell me what you can offer me"  
Steve moved back to the table and sat down, "I can offer you immunity. A full pardon of your crimes and placement in the Witness Protection Program"  
"I don't want Witness Protection, I can take care of myself"  
"That's non-negotiable. Being placed in Witness Protection is MY security policy. You will tell me everything you know about Michael's plan to kill and replace Adam as the head of Noshimuri Enterprises. You will give me the names of EVERY member of the organization involved in the plan. You will provide me with any and all written or computer correspondence involving the plan. If I find out at ANY time that you did not give me every bit of information you have, the offer will be withdrawn and your ass will be right back here.….and solitary will not even be an option. I will see to it that you are placed in the prison's general population where I guarantee you Wo Fat will have no trouble getting access to you" Steve paused and tapped his index finger on the picture of Hess, "Do you agree to my terms?"

Hideki continued to stare down at the picture of Victor Hess.  
After several moments of silence, Steve turned to Chin "Chin, why don't you go get Hideki a soda. Do you like Coke?"  
Hideki replied nervously, "Yes"

Moments later, Chin placed the Coke in front of Hideki and stated, "You've got ten minutes to think it over and we'll be back" With that the men left Hideki alone, instructing that the guard move into the room to monitor him.

As they entered the hall, Chin asked "Do you think he's going to go for it?"  
"Yeah, I do. The picture of Hess has him shaken. I don't think he realized how brutal Wo Fat is"  
"I hope you're right. By the way, Danny would be proud"  
Steve grinned, "What are you calling me a hot-head?"  
"Steve, when it comes to Wo Fat….you've done some pretty crazy and impulsive things"  
"Fair enough…let's get some coffee and head back in"

**5050505050505050505050505050505050**

Re-entering the interrogation room Steve sat back down across from Hideki.  
The man pushed the picture of Hess back over to Steve as he said, "I agree to your terms McGarrett"  
Steve stated firmly, "Talk"

"A few months before Michael was due to be released from prison Wo Fat showed up at my apartment. I knew he was a part of the organization but I didn't know much about him. Several years before, I was having dinner with my Dad when Joe White had called. Hearing only one side of the conversation, I became intrigued and I asked him about the call. He'd had several drinks and he told me more than he should have. He told me about Shelburne and how he and Uncle Hiro had helped fake her death and that they were helping her hide from Wo Fat. He told me that Shelburne had killed Wo Fat's Father and that he was working with him, keeping him close, as a favor to Joe White. A few months later I went to Michael's and saw Wo Fat leaving the house. I asked Michael about him and he told me that they were just talking about a business venture. I told him about what my Dad had told me about Shelburne"

Steve asked, "Why would you tell Michael this?"  
"Why wouldn't I? He was my cousin and I saw him talking to a man and planning a business venture with him, knowing that our Father's were helping someone named Shelburne hide from him. I had a bad vibe about Wo Fat…..I didn't know any details about Shelburne but apparently Michael gave this info to Wo Fat because when Wo Fat showed up at my door he asked me what I knew and then he told me about his plans to take over the business with Michael. He told me that Michael had ordered my Dad's…..and his Dad's deaths…..and I knew. McGarrett, you showed me those pictures of Hess but during that conversation with Wo Fat, I knew that if I didn't offer to join him in the coup I would be dead when he left my apartment. We called Michael and he came over. That night I became one of the inner-circle, the number three man in the group being formed to take over Noshimuri Enterprises. Later on Michael told me that Wo Fat had wanted to kill me but he had convinced him not to….he had saved my life"

Chin then noticed Steve. The SEAL had suddenly become very pale and moving to him, he placed a hand on Steve's forearm, "Let's take a break…"  
As the two detectives entered the hall, Chin asked "Hey, what's wrong with you?"  
"I'm sorry Chin"  
"Don't worry about it….what's up?"  
"Chin, I recognize Hideki"  
"You recognize him, from where?"  
"North Korea"  
_'North Korea' _the two words sent a chill down the Asian detective's neck. "He was there?"  
"Yeah…" Steve's voice softened as he said, "He was one of the men who kidnapped and tortured me. I can't believe I didn't recognize him before this"  
"Do you still want to offer him the plea"  
"Yes...this isn't about me Chin, this is about Kono"  
"Can you continue?"  
Steve shook his head, "I just need a minute"  
"Take your time brah"  
Steve sat on a nearby bench and bowing his head he leaned against his casted right hand.  
Chin paced back and forth and after about fifteen minutes, Steve was ready to resume and the men re-entered the small, windowless room.

********* More to follow **********


	15. Chapter 15

Staring at McGarrett, Hideki asked "So now that you recognize me, is the deal still on the table"  
"Yes…nothing's changed. Now tell me about the plan to kill Adam"  
"A few months ago, Michael ordered his death. I tried to talk him out of it, but he told me that he and Wo Fat had decided it was the only way to complete the take-over. That's why, in the end Wo Fat told me to pull the trigger…..he knew of my hesitancy to kill my cousin and it was his way of securing control over me"

"So what was the plan?"  
Hideki continued, "We were planning to shoot him in his office and make it look like a robbery. Our first attempt was scrubbed when he took an unexpected trip out of the country. A second attempt was scrubbed because he kept a secretary and two interns late that night. Then the plans changed. Michael told Wo Fat about his brother's relationship with Kono and that they were getting serious. Wo Fat was worried that once we killed Adam, your team would not believe it was a random killing"

"So Michael stole Kono's gun to set her up for murder?"  
"Yes. We figured with her in trouble, your attention would be totally focused on her and we were going to kill Adam by driving him off a mountain road and into the Ocean. But Michael was sloppy and the glove with his DNA was discovered. Wo Fat was furious and he told Michael to clean up his mess. Michael went to Adam's house with the intent of killing him and he would have killed Kono too… without question" Hideki hesitated slightly as he saw the anger in the Navy SEAL's eyes, "After Adam killed Michael, Wo Fat had me track him and Kono. I stowed away on the boat and followed them to Tan's home in China. Then I lost them... I contacted Wo Fat and he sent a team of men to China. We waited for Tan, we tortured him until he gave us the location of the safe-house and then we killed him"

Steve looked at the man coldly, "I want names…..the names of everyone involved in the plot to take-over Noshimuri Enterprises and remember, I want ALL the names"  
Chin pulled up a chair next to him and with a pen and notepad, he wrote down the names as Hideki methodically listed them off.

When he was done, there were twelve names not including Wo Fat, Michael or Hikedi.  
Steve then reached over and slid the notebook and pen in front of Hideki, "Put a check mark by the names of the men who were in China with you"  
The prisoner did as he was told and then Steve counted the names, six…..five of them dead in China and Billy Granger down the hall. That left six men, involved and still free in Hawaii.

Steve looked into the man's eyes, "These six? There are no more?"  
"There are no more"  
"One more thing Hideki, why didn't you kill Adam?"  
The man paused a moment before stating softly, "He's my cousin…..he's family and I love him"

With no further words spoken Steve stood and moved towards the door. Chin took the pen, notebook and manila folder and followed the SEAL out of the room.  
Steve paced the floor anxiously and after Hideki had been led from the room he turned to Chin, "Chin, I need to get out of here for a bit. Can you go assist Danny and then meet me back at headquarters?"

"Yeah sure, are you okay Steve?"  
"I'm fine"  
"Okay, we'll see you in a little while"  
Chin watched as Steve walked quickly down the hall, rounding the corner. He then moved to the room at the other end of the hall where Danny was still questioning Granger.

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By the time Steve got to his truck he was shaking and struggling to breathe. He jumped into the truck and placing his casted arm across the steering wheel he laid his forehead against it and sobbed as he talked quietly to himself, "Get a hold of yourself McGarrett, shit…. get a grip" He couldn't believe how shaken he was at the realization that Adam's cousin had been one of his torturers in North Korea. For almost a year after his kidnapping he'd had nightmares almost nightly. The nightmares were so vivid that it was almost like reliving this horrific time over and over again. He would wake up in a cold sweat, shaking and gasping….just like he was now….. "Damn it McGarrett, get a grip"

A few minutes later after regaining his composure, Steve was pulling out onto the Pali Highway.

Back in the prison Danny was just finishing up when Chin entered the room. The guard led Granger from the room and Danny asked, "Are you guys done?"  
"Yeah…it went well. How about with you?"  
"He didn't tell me much that we didn't already know. Where's Steve?"  
"He went back to the office, we're supposed to meet him there"  
Danny's 'SEAL Radar' went up and he asked, "Is something wrong Chin?"  
"Halfway through the interrogation, Steve recognized Hideki as one of the men who tortured him in North Korea"  
"What! And you let him leave here on his own?"  
"Danny, he's alright. He was a little shook up but he took a few minutes and he pulled himself together. He just needed to get out of here"  
Danny grinned nervously, "I'm sure you're right, let's go"

Twenty minutes later the men pulled into the parking lot at 5-0 Headquarters, instantly noticing that Steve's Silverado was not there. Chin shut off his engine and moved over to the Camaro where Danny sat with his cellphone to his ear.  
Chin waited as Danny left a message, "Steve, we're at the office where in the hell are you? Give me a call partner"  
Hanging up Danny said, "I don't like this Chin. He's been keeping everything inside and I'm afraid this might of pushed him over the edge"  
Before Chin could respond, Danny's phone rang. "Steve? Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine Danno…..why don't you guys start running the names Hideki gave us through the system. Get their addresses and I'll be there shortly"  
"Okay babe, see you soon" Hanging up, he looked at Chin, "He's on his way. Maybe I'm wrong brother…he sounds okay"  
"Good"

Steve hung up the phone and after running his hand across his Father's headstone he said emotionally, "I'm sorry Dad…... I miss you" He then stood and walked back to his truck.

When he arrived at headquarters, Danny and Chin had the addresses on all six remaining perpetrators.  
Chin told him of their findings, "Three live in a home together here in Oahu. The other three are all in separate homes in Honolulu"  
Danny added, "I've talked to Duke and he has sent three units to the Honolulu homes and one to meet us, once we're in place we'll contact him and coordinate the four take-downs. We're going to get these bastards Steve"

Steve spoke firmly, "We need to get these guys, for Kono and Adam"  
Danny asked, "Have either of you talked to her today?"  
Chin responded, "I talked to here on the drive over here. She's good…..Adam's good too but she said he's quite impatient"  
Steve said "Let's end this then so they can both come home"

**505050505050505050505050505050505050**

Within the hour the Five-0 men were parked a block from the perp's house. The HPD squad had beat them to the scene and they had staked it out, so they knew that all three of the men were inside. Once they had their vests on and were ready to move, Steve called Duke.  
After hanging up he told the others, "We're all moving in fifteen minutes. Are you all ready?"  
Danny nodded and Chin stated firmly, "Let's do this"

With their arms in casts and their effectiveness compromised, Steve would be following Chin and Officer Paulo Akela through the front door while Danny would follow Officer Ray Sanderson through the back.

As they all rushed through the doors of the home they caught the occupants all in the living room smoking weed and drinking.  
Steve hollered "5-0, HANDS UP!"  
One man lunged towards an automatic rifle that was leaning against a bookcase a few feet from him.  
Chin screamed, "FREEZE!" and in the chaos of the next several seconds a second man stood from the couch while pulling a pistol from his waistband in one fluid motion. He managed to get two shots off before Sanderson fired at him from the entryway to the kitchen. Sanderson's three shots found their mark and the perp's body was catapulted backwards and over the couch.

Smoke from the gunfire clouded the room and as quickly as it began, it was over.  
As Steve watched, Akela and Sanderson move towards the two remaining perp's he heard Danny call out, "CHIN"  
Turning, he watched as Chin staggered back against the wall….and he saw the blood…..

******** MORE TO FOLLOW - I'd love to hear your thoughts and THANK YOU for reading and reviewing! *********


	16. Chapter 16

******* Here are the final two chapters - I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think! Happy Reading! *******

Steve was at his friends' side in seconds placing his hands on the man's shoulders as he slid down the wall., "Chin….Chin…oh shit"  
Chin reached a hand up and grabbed Steve's wrist as their eyes connected, "I'm okay brah…...I'm okay. It's just my arm. Did we get 'em?"  
Steve smiled with relief, "Yeah, we got 'em" As he helped ease Chin onto the ground he called out to the HPD detectives, "Guys, can you check the upstairs. Make sure there's no one else here"

As Danny held a gun on the two cuffed prisoners, he called out "Chin, brother are you alright?"  
"I'm good Danny"  
Steve examined the arm announcing, "It's a through and through wound, he's going to be just fine. Stay right here Chin, don't move"  
He raced into the kitchen returning with a dish towel and a bottle of water. Opening the water he handed it to Chin while he tied the towel tightly around the bleeding wound.

The HPD Officers descended the stairs giving an 'all clear' as Steve called for an ambulance and coroner's wagon.  
As the officers led the prisoners out to their squad, Danny knelt at Chin's side while Steve called to check in with Duke.

Hanging up a few minutes later Steve filled in his men, "We got 'em all. One's dead and the other two are in custody…..we got 'em"  
They all smiled and Steve asked, "How you doing Chin?"  
"I'm fine really"  
Danny added, "The bleedings slowed"  
"Good. Duke is sending a unit to process the crime scene, I'll wait for them. Danny, can you follow Chin to the hospital and get a hold of Kono?"  
Danny paused before responded, "Sure, can she head home tonight?"  
Steve smiled at his men, "Yeah….Duke's going to place a squad outside the house for a few days as a precaution, but I think it's over"  
Chin asked, "How certain are you that we've got them all Steve?"  
"As certain as we can be Chin. From the info Hideki gave us we've captured or killed everyone involved…except Wo Fat. We need to find that son-of-a-bitch….."

Danny replied solemnly, "We'll find him Steve"  
The ambulance arrived and once Chin was inside Danny turned to Steve, "So, will be joining me at the hospital when you're done here?"  
"Danny…" Steve's voice dropped as he said, "I need your help"  
"Of course man…..what do you need? Are you okay?"  
"I need to talk partner"  
"You finish up here and head home. I'll talk to Kono and make sure Chin's alright, then I'll meet you there okay? Do you have plenty of longboards?"  
Steve grinned weakly, "Yeah, the fridge is stocked"  
The men briefly embraced and Danny said, "Go home…relax, and I'll get there as quick as I can buddy. Everything's going be okay"  
"Thanks D'….I'll see you in a bit"  
As Steve moved back onto the house, Danny got into his Camaro and glancing back at his partner he drove off towards the hospital.

**50505050505050505050505050505050**

It took a couple of hours for Danny to get everything taken care of and as he pulled into Steve's driveway he wasn't sure what to expect. He had called him an hour before to check up on him, and although he was quiet…..he seemed okay.  
Giving a 'McGarrett courtesy knock' he entered the home. Lights were on in the living room and kitchen but it was very quiet. He was pretty sure he would find his partner down at the beach, so grabbing a couple of beers from the fridge, he moved into the back yard.

Steve was sitting forward in one of his wooden deck chairs. Danny handed him a beer and finishing his open beer with one long gulp, Steve cracked open the new one and asked, "Did Kono head home?"  
"Yeah. Duke had a squad take them to Adam's"  
"I should have been there for her"  
"Hey, stop it. I told her you weren't feeling well. Now listen to me Steve, you HAVE been there for her. You've been totally there for her and Adam and they know it and appreciate it. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THEM RIGHT NOW! They are fine, I promise you"

"And Chin?"  
"They're keeping him in the hospital overnight. The Doc said he'd see him around nine o'clock, so we'll be there"  
"Thanks Danno"  
"For what, I haven't done anything"  
"Yes you have….you've been with me through every step of this. You've kept me going"

The men sat in silence for quite a while.  
Danny waited, he knew that Steve would talk when he was ready and eventually Steve said softly, "Billy Sellway"  
Danny turned to him asking, "What?""  
"I have my own Billy Sellway, times four partner…..I was ten when it happened" He told Danny about his quarrel with Mary and about being grounded and having to miss the sleep-over at the Johnson home. "Brian's Dad was a wealthy lawyer and that night two petty criminals high on heroin broke into the house to rob them. One of the men began to assault Brian's Mother, and his Dad tried to stop it. The punks panicked and killed both of them, shooting them in front of the kids. They had the kids lie down in front of the fireplace and they shot them all in their backs and heads…Brian, his eight year old sister Libby and three other friends of mine were all killed that night. Brian, Jamarcus, Robbie and my best friend Jeff…..they're my Billy Sellway's Danno…."

"My God Steve, why haven't you ever told me about this?"  
"I just never could Danny…I had buried it so deep. My parents had taken me to therapy for a long time before I could accept what had happened. I should have been there Danny, I was supposed to be in that house that night…..I was supposed to die that night"

Danny quickly added, "No, No babe you WEREN'T supposed to die that night. Things happen Steve…bad things happen, you know that. You say you were supposed to die that night? While I say you were supposed to LIVE! Thank God you weren't there! You grew up to become a military hero and a man of amazing strength and character. You've saved hundreds of lives….things happen for a reason"

Steve grinned as he said, "Things happen for a reason…you're sounding like Doris partner"  
Danny replied, "I'm not quite sure how to take that"  
Steve smiled, "I can certainly understand that Daniel"  
Danny asked him, "Do you need another beer"  
"Yeah, that would be great"  
Danny stood, "I'll be right back"

As he walked up to the house he glanced back at his partner. He couldn't believe the things this man had been through in his life and now this too? Danny had always been one to question blind faith and at times like these he questioned it even more. How could a God, a loving God put so much pain and burden onto one man? Especially a man as good and decent as Steve McGarrett….

After using the restroom and grabbing four beers from the fridge he made his was back down to the water.

******** One more chapter to go…. *******  
**


	17. Chapter 17

The sat quietly sipping beers and watching the sun set.  
Steve hadn't said much more and Danny….hell, he didn't know what to say.  
Finally the SEAL began again, his speech now slurred slightly, "She always told me that things happen for a reason Danno. What is the reason for seven people to be executed by two animals, drugged out of their fucking minds? What is the reason for the deaths of twelve of my SEAL brothers all dying brutally? What is the reason for Doris abandoning me, Mary and Dad? What is reason she came back Danny? To hurt me more? Why…why in the hell is she doing this to me?"

Danny looked at Steve, the strongest man he'd ever known yet at this moment he was broken. Tears streamed down Steve's face and Danny prayed to the God he still questioned, that he would say the right words. He needed to bring comfort to Steve…..he HAD to say the right words.

"I need to tell you a few things buddy…I haven't had a chance to talk to you about this yet, but Doris had said a few things to Kono. Wo Fat had said, 'What kind of Mother abandons her children and places her son in such danger?' He also told her that Tan was dead because of her, and that she had killed him just as she had killed her husband and endangered you. He told her that you would find them dead and you would know that you hadn't been able to protect them. He said he knew that you would never stop searching for him until you were dead, but that he wanted you to suffer first. He told them he would kill them, and then he would kill Chin, Joe and Cath. He said that when you had lost all those that you loved, he would then kill me and Gracie... he want's to destroy you. He told Doris that every bit of pain you are subjected to would be because of her" Danny paused a second before adding, "You said something to me back at the Embassy….You said that I was right…"

Steve interrupted him, "Danny….I'm sorry about that. I was hurt and confused"  
"Hey don't be sorry…just listen please. I wish with all my heart that she had just come back into your life and that there was no drama. I wish you two could have just picked up like no time had ever passed, but that's not the reality. She left you at sixteen and in her mind, she was doing that to keep you safe. Should she have come back? As your friend and someone who loves you, honestly I'm conflicted on that. I know she loves you and I'm certain she has a lot of guilt and pain. I know you love her too, so in that aspect I'm thankful she's alive. But by not giving you the answers and the closure you need and deserve, it's tearing you apart and I hate her for that" Danny sighed briefly before continuing, "Steve, I don't know what to say brother. Regarding the deaths of your childhood friends, that was horrible and meaningless and as for your brothers…..they were hero's babe, just like you are. Why are they dead and you're alive? There are no answers to that Steven. Hey, you're the best friend I've ever had buddy and I hate seeing you in this pain…. I love you Steve and I'm so sorry you're going through this but I don't know what to do"

Steve stared out at the darkness, listening as the Ocean waves crashed to the shore. "Danno, I promise you partner…you're doing everything right. When I lost Freddie in North Korea and then Hess killed Dad, it almost destroyed me. If I hadn't been assigned to head up 5-0 and if you and Gracie, Chin and Kono hadn't been brought into my life at that time…..God Danno, I don't know where I'd be right now…..you saved me buddy and I have no doubt about that. You've lost two partners Danny and I know you loved Grace and Meka just as I loved my SEAL brothers'….and you've lost Billy Sellway. To have you to talk to about these things, to have someone who truly understands that horrific pain…..God Danno, you're doing everything right and I love you"

"So what are you going to do about your Mom?"  
"I'm going to turn the tables on her"  
"What do you mean?"  
"I talked to Joe earlier and I've got him searching for her. For twenty years, he kept tabs on me and gave her updates…now it's my turn. He's going to watch her and keep her safe, just as he always did, but I'll be the one getting the updates now. She's made up her mind that she can't be here and that's her choice. I'll go on with my life and I'll go on with the search for Wo Fat. Until he's found and we finally put him away for good, all I can hope for is to know where she is and to know that she's safe"

Danny smiled at him, "You're certainly a chip off the old block partner"  
Steve stood, and staggered slightly as Danny also stood and in moments they were sharing a warm embrace.  
"Danny, I'm starving!"  
"How does pizza sound?"  
"Perfect buddy, dough, sauce, mozz and….."  
Danny added quickly, "Pepperoni partner…pepperoni"  
Drinking their beers, they staggered arm in arm back up to the house.

**505050505050505050505050505050**

After picking Chin up from the hospital the next day they all headed over to Adam's.  
With three of the men having their arms in casts, Chin's arm in a sling and Kono on crutches they all shared a quiet day around the pool simply enjoying each other's company.

Much of the talk was about the upcoming blessing of the Kalakaua-Noshimuri baby.  
Danny said, "That's quite a name that kids gonna have. I hope you give him an easy first name, like Ian or George"  
Kono began to laugh hysterically, "GEORGE! Are you kidding me Danny?"  
They all laughed as Danny said, "What's wrong with George?"  
Tears of laughter were rolling down their faces as Steve added, "It might be Georgina"  
Adam held out his hand, "No way…..no George OR Georgina"

A little later, Adam looked at the 5-0 team and sitting forward on the edge of his lawn chair he said, "I wanted to thank you guys for everything you did for me and Kono and our baby. You're all very special to her and that makes you all very special to me"  
He squeezed Kono's hand and smiled at her as she added, "Guys, we're getting married"  
All three men began to cheer and holler at the joyful news as Kono added, "Chin…..will you walk me down the aisle?"  
"Absolutely I will cous', I'm so happy for both of you"  
Adam turned to Steve, "Steve, would you be my best man?"  
The SEAL smiled broadly as he responded, "I'd be honored Adam"  
Kono then asked Danny, "I'd love it if Gracie would be my Junior Bridesmaid"  
"Oh my God…I PROMISE you she will love that…..in fact, she'll take over your entire wedding planning you do know that don't you?"  
"Good, I can use her help!"  
Danny then looked at Adam, "You know this officially makes you a part of our Ohana brother"  
The Asian man looked at them all, "I couldn't ask for a better family….thank you all"

As they all stood and embraced, Steve held Kono tightly whispering to her "I'm so happy for you sweetheart, I love you"  
As they parted she repeated what she had said to him three years earlier, "Steve, when you were carrying me from the cave, you smiled at me and I knew that everything was going to be alright. I felt loved and safe" Kono put her hands on his cheeks as he smiled broadly and she said, "Steve McGarrett, God I love your smile!"

THE END

****** I hope you enjoyed the story - thank you so much for reading and please take a moment to give me your final thoughts! ******


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